Recently there have been many interesting messages delivered to Malaysians regarding public transportation. The state government of Terengganu has mentioned plans for a public transportation council (including citizen representatives). The Terengganu government has also proposed a revamped public transportation system (Rapid Terengganu), and called for a high-speed rail connection within the East Coast Economic Region and LRT (light rail transit) lines if necessary.

In Selangor, the state government seems to be pushing ahead with plans for LRT, including an extension of the Kelana Jaya LRT to Klang, and a new outer-ring LRT line serving the outskirts of the Klang Valley. In Malacca, the state government is proposing a monorail line to move passengers. There is even talk of improvements to the Sabah State Rail and a possible LRT line in Kota Kinabalu.

The Images de France cultural showcase on Nov 12 included a symposium on transportation, showcase the offerings of France's Alstom, and on Nov 26 Scomi Rail will introduce the second generation design of their monorail.

Each one of these proposals and discussions and events will have a positive effect on the presence of public transportation in Malaysia.

But where is our federal government in all of this? Improving public transportation in Malaysia is supposed to be an important goal for the national government, as outlined in the National Physical Plan. The National Physical Plan proposes four high-speed rail links (Johor Bahru-Padang Besar, Johor Bahru-Kota Baru, Kota Baru-Butterworth and Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan. It also proposes LRT and MRT (mass rapid transit) links in major cities.

Unfortunately the National Physical Plan says nothing about the role of the national government in guiding the development of these networks. Improvements to public transportation should be guided by a vision from the federal government. If we leave everything to the state governments, there will be many problems.

The different approaches taken by the different state governments reflects the nature of this problem. The executive committees in Selangor and Malacca are talking about LRT and monorail, which sounds positive. However, they are neglecting the most important part of public transportation service, the humble bus.

I wonder if they realise that no matter how many LRT and MRT and high-speed rail lines we have, buses will still be necessary; and therefore, the role of buses in their public transportation systems cannot be ignored.

Terengganu, on the other hand, is focusing on improving the bus system first. The revamped bus service, to be called Rapid Terengganu, will service the entire state rather than just the urban areas. This is a first for public transportation in Malaysia.

But the issue here is that the organisation of public transportation should not be left to the state governments. Public transportation is an economic tool, and should be designed to serve the different economic regions of Malaysia, such as the Northern Corridor, Klang Valley, Melaka-Seremban, South Johor, East Coast, and Kinta Valley.

This is why I believe in the need for a National Public Transportation Department, which would create a Nation Public Transportation Strategy, and then apply this vision into the different economic regions of Malaysia.

By doing so, the government will be able to create a public transportation network that works on a national, regional, and local level.