No room for delay in maintaining ageing rail tracks, says former Transport Minister
Maintenance is the lifeblood of any rail network and should never be treated as optional.
PUTRAJAYA – Former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has slammed the management of Malaysia’s rail system for failing to prioritise regular maintenance, resulting in repeated disruptions across the LRT, MRT and Monorail services.
He said maintenance is the lifeblood of any rail network and should never be treated as optional, warning that without proper upkeep, systems could become overused, strained and eventually break down.
“Without routine maintenance, trains simply cannot perform. They will be under pressure and overused,” he said.
Wee explained that the frequent disruptions on the Kelana Jaya LRT Line are partly due to its nearly three-decade-old infrastructure and the use of components from various generations of technology that have been merged into a single system.
This, he stressed, required far more meticulous and comprehensive maintenance work.
He also questioned management decisions that appear to prioritise spending on support system, such as ticketing over core technical components that directly determine whether trains can operate.
“Imagine RM300 million for a ticketing system. Compared with maintenance, which is more important? Ticketing can be upgraded any time when funds are available, but train maintenance must be carried out. You cannot say there is no budget,” he added.
In October 2023, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told the Dewan Rakyat that Prasarana Malaysia Bhd would begin developing an open payment system for the Klang Valley LRT in March 2024, allowing commuters to use credit and debit cards instead of Touch ’n Go cards and tokens.
However, no project cost was disclosed.
Wee stressed that spending priorities must be accurate, as any delay in maintenance schedules can trigger severe consequences, including the shutdown of train services.
“For a 29-year-old rail system, maintenance is everything. It cannot be delayed or ignored. If it’s late, what we are seeing now will keep happening,” he added.
He noted that age alone is not the sole reason for system failures, noting that many countries operate older rail networks without major disruptions as long as technical schedules are strictly followed.
“A car will run fine if well maintained. The same goes for trains. A-check, B-check, C-check, D-check, just like in the aviation industry. Everything follows a schedule,” he said.
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