JB-Singapore MRT ?

Now this really is good news!! The MRT is coming to town!!

Especially for my fellow Johoreans who are working in Singapore or my Singaporean friends who might want to come to visit me. :)

Althought i'm kind of skeptical about it when my dad told me about, well , he was the one who told me that all newspapers are government controlled mouthpieces, but anyway, fingers crossed and lets hope it turns out to be true.

I guess our unique democracy is at work after all, with the coalition government losing out control of 5 states, especially with Selangor and Penang, i guess we would be seeing the government focusing alot of attention and $$$ at Johor.

Johor Bahru(JB) and Singapore share an extraordinary realationship over the years.. and is at the center of much hoo haa by both governments. Lets see... we've got the water issue, the railway issue, ah of course, the crooked half bridge issue and many more.

Singapore's LKY once talked about JB being a cowboy town, and Mahathir once bragged about the governement's aquistion of fighter jets being able to bomb singapore. Sheesh...

Two sister states, born of the same womb but always bickering... sigh. Come on, people when will you ever learn that peace & prosperity goes hand in hand. There is much good both people on both sides if we would even learn to work with one another.

So to initiate on the MRT project and having the focus shift back to the IDR or SJER or whatever's its to be called, is a good thing.

Well, unfortunately it won't be good for everyone. Apparently, the Chief Minister of Johor, Grandfather(datuk, pun intended lah!) Abdul Ghani did mention that a couple of old flats just next to the much overdue but almost completed CIQ complex, will have to make way. And get this, these flats will have to in 2 weeks.WOW! is this the much acclaimed governemnt boost in efficiency or is something else cooking here?? There seems to be no report on how the government would relocate the residents. But i suspet they would be compensated with a pittance, as the flats are govt property anway.

So all in all, the good news is:

1. we would finally get some decent public transport in JB, abeit the system be from another country and to another country. :(
2. Hopefully the jams as the checkpoints would ease up a little and encourage more people to visit JB and bring more business exchanges to the area.
3. It also seems that, the IDR is getting some much deserved life blood pumped into it, before it really dies like a premature foetus.

& of concern would be:

1. a couple of thousand people would be relocated, in 2 weeks.
2. given the poor track record of sticking to agreed terms, lets hope this time its for real and our dear datuk bandar would see it to the projects end. (he did mention that "he expected the project to start in two to three years." )
3. and of course, the ever presence of crony-capitalism.... :(

uh-oh.... but only time will tell and there is always hope. : )

Update: well well well...  the really bulldozed the flats. and how in the world did they get the excavator up on the roof, 15 floors up?? a crane? 

lets hope the JB MRT really comes to fruition. and its also interesting to note that the CIQ is now ready. and work to rebuild the KOMTAR is also underway.  its promising. :)