I refer to your report Commuters stranded as LRT breaks down.

This is all so pathetic and sad. First-class infrastructure but third-world mentality. High-tech driver-less Putra LRT but bottom-rung maintenance. Imagine this - Friday morning rush hour, Oct 6, 2006 to be exact. Tens of thousands of Putra LRT commuters and the Putra LRT system conveniently breaks down - again. Chaos reigns. Are we Malaysians at all surprised? No. That’s what makes the entire situation so wretched.

For the past five to six months, the Putra LRT system has been breaking down approximately once a month. Every time it malfunctions, Putra staff will conveniently put up the ‘We-are-having-an-unavoidable-technical-problem’ notice. Do you think we are stupid? Many of us have all been on the virtually trouble-free Singapore MRT to be fooled by Putra.

Putra doesn’t maintain the trains. The system stalls. They express regret for a problem that is ‘beyond their control’. They are let off leniently. They get on with their complacent life. The pathetic cycle repeats itself.

I seriously urge the transport minister to make the following sweeping changes:

1. Fire Rapid KL’s top management in charge of the Putra LRT. The Putra LRT’s constant failure means failure on their part
   
   
2. Fine Rapid KL RM1 million for every hour the LRT is down. To be frank, RM1 million/hour is a paltry sum compared to the thousands of human resources stuck on the trains and at the stations when they are supposed to be at work contributing to the country’s economic growth.
   
   
3. Publicly display to the commuters Putra LRT’s KPI (key performance indicators). Monthly statistics like system failures, late trains, Touch & Go breakdowns, ticketing gate malfunctions, air-conditioning jams in trains and stations would be helpful. And don’t cheat.
   
   We will have a good laugh at the dismal figures initially, but I’m sure Putra LRT will improve the system to save its own face from constant public embarrassment.
   
   
4. Fire those who can’t meet these KPIs.

Drastic actions are needed for a drastic change