Traffic jam between Juru and Sg Dua during morning peak hours. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI and ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
DESPITE the short 5km distance from Juru Auto City to the Penang Bridge exit, tow truck operator Chan Kok Hoe spends 15 minutes in traffic due to congestion.
The 46-year-old believes the yet-to-be-implemented RM1.8bil Juru-Sungai Dua Elevated Highway project will help address ongoing traffic issues.
Song cannot afford to hire foreign workers because it is too expensive to do so.Chan hopes the government will unveil the initiative as a gift to Penang while unveiling Budget 2025 on Friday.
“The congestion is due to several factors, mainly heavy vehicles making slow turns into junctions which results in a bottleneck at Seberang Jaya.
“There are significant developments in the area with traffic worsening over the past decade.
“Vehicles arriving from the North-South Expressway (NSE) adds to the traffic jam.
“The project is said to reduce travel time during peak hours,” said Chan, who operates a towing business.
A notorious bottleneck tends to build up on the NSE from Juru to Sungai Dua toll plaza with motorists heading to Penang or travelling between Perak and Kedah.
It was earlier reported that Penang is hopeful for the elevated highway project and Penang Silicon Design @5km+, which recently had a soft launch, to be included in Budget 2025.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the two projects were key initiatives and he hoped to get the Federal Government’s nod following a series of discussions with national leaders.
Chow had previously said a dedicated bypass from Juru to Sungai Dua toll would be a long-term traffic dispersal plan.
He said the project should be modelled after the Ipoh Selatan-Jelapang stretch which separated traffic between the expressway and slip road to Ipoh city.
In June, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan was quoted as saying that Penang had made a request to the Federal Government for the 15km elevated highway project, adding that PLUS Expressways Bhd, too, presented a proposal to the Public-Private Partnership Unit (of the Prime Minister’s Department) in February.
Ageing population
Penang’s elderly population is expected to be the highest in the country, thus calling for attention from Budget 2025.
Penang Charity Foundation Association chairman A. Alagesan said a budget was needed to upgrade various aspects to accommodate the elderly.
“The elderly population aged 65 and above in Penang has increased from 7% in 2021 to 7.4% in 2022, according to the Penang Socioeconomic report,” said Alagesan.
“Besides homes for the elderly, hospitals and clinics will grow in demand as more people seek treatment.
“With the current shortage of public healthcare facilities, many elderly end up waiting in long queues, spending half a day to receive treatment.
“Their children, who are working, do not have time to take their elderly parents around.
“Therefore, better public transport system is needed to cater to the elderly.
A Tzu Chi volunteer teaching the elderly how to use their smartphones at Padang Tembak Community Care Centre. Penang has been categorised as an ageing state. — Filepic
“We also require funds to upgrade elderly-friendly infrastructure and organise engaging programmes to look after them.”
Socio-economic factors must be addressed too since many elderly folk had retired but some still had to work to pay their rent, said Alagesan.
“By providing the elderly with suitable jobs or welfare programmes to support their livelihood, they will feel appreciated.
“We should not see them on the streets, begging for food in a developed state.
“We need more old folks home for the elderly who are alone and incapable of supporting themselves,” he added.
The Statistics Department has categorised Penang as an ageing state with almost 15% of its 1.77 million population aged 60 or older.
United Nations Population Project predicts that the state will have the highest population of senior citizens in Malaysia by 2040, with about 26.2% aged over 60.
Women empowerment
Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC) wants the government to invest strategically in bridging significant gender gaps in political and economic spheres.
Its chief executive officer Datuk Ong Bee Leng said this was a necessary step as a high-income nation towards achieving economic goals, social justice and gender equality.
“Malaysia ranks 114 out of 146 countries according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index 2024 report released recently, with substantial disparities in political empowerment and economic participation.
“Specifically, women constitute only 14% of parliamentary seats and less than 30% of key leadership positions in both public and private sectors.
“In terms of economic participation, the rate for women is around 56% compared to 80% for men in the labour force.”
Ong proposed RM500mil be allocated for access to finance, by expanding financial support through low-interest loans, grants and venture capital funds specifically for women-owned businesses.
“This fund will prioritise SMEs and rural women entrepreneurs, providing them with the necessary capital to grow their businesses,” she said.
Ong said an additional RM200mil allocation for workforce participation support, to encourage work-life balance such as expanding affordable childcare facilities, enhancing parental (father and mother) leave policies and promoting flexible work arrangements, should be looked into.
These reforms, she said, were essential to increasing women’s workforce participation.
For reskilling and upskilling programmes where women were under-represented, particularly in technology and innovation sectors, Ong said digital literacy initiatives especially in rural areas would ensure equal access to opportunities in digital economy under a RM100mil-budget Skills Training and Digital Literacy programme.
Ong said addressing gender gaps for national prosperity through strategic investments would have far-reaching benefits for socio-economic development.
“There is a difference between urban and rural areas in terms of political literacy and economic participation.
“In rural areas, education background may hamper women’s understanding of politics and there may not be the ecosystem to support businesses.
“Malaysia’s gross domestic product (GDP) could increase by up to 26% by 2025 if women’s economic participation rises to match that of men’s.
“In absolute terms, this translates to an addition of approximately RM270bil to the country’s GDP by 2025.
“By prioritising women’s representation and economic empowerment, Budget 2025 can unlock full potential of half of the population and ensure that Malaysia’s progress benefits all citizens,” she said.
Tourism sector
Penang Tourist Guide Association chairman Clement Liang said Penang’s tourism infrastructure was in need of an overhaul to match expectations created by promotional efforts.
He said while significant funds had been allocated for marketing and promotions, inadequate infrastructure detracted from tourists’ overall experience.
Liang pointed to Penang International Airport (PIA), stating, “We need to go back to basics by building things with quality in mind.
“Tourists have asked why the airport was so ‘miserable’.
Liang says the long walk from Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth to the train station is an inconvenience for the disabled and elderly.
“After investing millions in constructing the multi-storey carpark, the pedestrian bridge connecting to the airport terminal leaks when it rains.
“We have also heard of dirty toilets and congested immigration counters.
“These are among issues that need to be solved before planning for expansion.”
PIA, the gateway into the north of the peninsula, is poised to become the second biggest airport in the country, with a RM1.5bil expansion project to be completed in 2028.
The expansion will increase parking capacity to 28 commercial aircraft at any one time, from 16 currently, with additional six parking bays and six remote ones.
According to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, by doubling the terminal’s gross floor area to 115,000sq m from 55,000sq m, the expansion will double PIA’s annual handling capacity of 6.5 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 12 MPPA.
Liang also highlighted the need for better coordination of schedules between ferry terminals and train stations.
“The first and second train from Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur is at 5.15am and 6.30am, but the ferry from Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda on the island only begins operation at 7am,” he said.
“The long walk from Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth to the train station is inconvenient for the disabled and elderly.
“At night, the last train from KL Sentral to Butterworth arrives at 12.20am, but the ferry service ends at 11pm.
“Due to this, many tourists end up being stranded in Butterworth and have to pay a hefty price for taxi or ehailing services to cross over to the island.”
Liang added that since more tourists were opting for public transport for better street experience, improvements should be made concerning pedestrian safety.
Man on the street
Electrical shop owner T. Rajan, 66, is concerned about the rising cost of imported goods and government taxes.
“About 95% of my stock are imported, as locally produced ones are too expensive.
“The reason why local products are pricey is due to expensive imported raw materials.
Rajan is concerned over the rising cost of imported goods and taxes imposed by the government.
“Due to higher costs and price of items being costlier, people are buying lower-quality products that they can afford and lowering their quality of life.
“It is too costly to operate a physical business compared to an online shop due to tax and other costs.
“The government has to ensure that we survive to create jobs through the economic chain,” he said.
Street busker Mohamad Haniff S. Hassan, 42, who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident 20 years ago, is hoping the government lends support to the disabled and promotes the art scene.
“I was in my final year studying for a law degree when I got into an accident on Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.
“My dreams were shattered after losing my right leg from the knee down.
“Music is my interest and I’ve written dozens of songs since 2012.
“I hope the government provides better platforms for us to develop our talents,” said Mohamad Haniff, who lives with his ageing grandmother and claims he does not get any aid.
Mohamad Haniff busking in Lebuh Armenian.
Restaurant owner Song Fook Kee, 68, who has been operating for the past 42 years in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, said high labour costs made it challenging for him to run his eatery.
“I used to hire foreign workers and it cost between RM3,000 and RM4,000 for the application process per person,” he said.
“Today, it costs over RM10,000 to bring in a worker. I cannot afford it.
“My wife helps me and she is 63. Hopefully, the government sets aside a budget to subsidise the hiring of foreign workers.”
Penang Hindu Association president Datuk P. Murugiah said providing accommodation and meals to needy students would alleviate the financial burden of low-income families.
“Some families have many children to support, hence allowing them to stay at hostels will cut down on travelling expenses or bus fees,” he said.
Another concern raised by Murugiah is the rising price of milk powder.
“The price of some milk powder has increased in the past three years, some from RM70 to RM140 a can,” he said.
“This is not just for children, but specially formulated milk powder for senior citizens and people who are ill or bedridden.
“The government needs to study their needs and provide subsidies for such things.”
