Speechless

I am utterly speechless when I had to commute from Puduraya to Sri Petaling via STAR LRT on a recent trip to KL. The route to the station is a long passageway, almost hidden behind Pudu's terminal bus station. Without someone experienced to lead the way, I would have had a hard time locating the entrance. Upon reaching the station, I was baffled by the inferiorly decorated interior of the LRT station. It was as if I were in one of India's bus terminal. Walls not painted, pipings unconcealed, dimmed without proper lightings.

The railway supporting structure forms part of the roof for the lobby. When the train approaches, you could hear loud howling from miles away and the screeching sound of the train braking, not to mention the tremor you can unmistakingly feel by touching the pillar of the structure. Flabbergasted!

When I mentioned it was dimly lit, I was obviously wrong. There was no lighting at all! Here's a picture of the escalator with and without flash. Notice the ugly cement pillar beside the escalator? Energy saving natural lighting? I really hope that this is not an act of being GREEN.


Unlike in Singapore or Hong Kong, where the announcements are pre-recorded, recited in clear and soothing feminine voice, and played accordingly; STAR LRT prefers the captain to make the announcements at each station - in mumbles - as if he is Jay Chow. The same Sungai Besi stop can be pronounced as "Sung.. Bes" and repeated as "...Ngai ...Si" in the lowest desibel that human ears can pick up. I wonder what happens when the captain has a sore throat or a thumb-size oral ulcer.

This is my first (and probably the last) time traveling with STAR and I would say that the standard is really nothing compared to our neighbour. How could the rakyat tolerate with this third world facility? Despite it being a privatised project, how could the government condone the impact of this sub-standard facility towards our tourism and belittle the people's rights to enjoy better infrastructure? Now I totally understand why Selangor falls into the hand of the Oppositions. With this lackadasical attitude in governing a nation, Barisan Nasional stands to lose more. Johor may be next.