PAKATAN Harapan will upgrade the ageing LRT system in the capital if it comes to power after the coming general election, Anthony Loke said today. 

The DAP secretary-general and former transport minister said this was to ensure a safe and reliable public transport system for the LRT’s 300,000 daily passengers. 

“Kuala Lumpur’s LRT system has been facing frequent malfunctions (and) we need a long-term programme to solve this. 

“If PH is able to retake the federal government on November 19, KL’s public transport system will be our highest priority and we will solve these issues as soon as possible. 

“(The LRT) relies on an automated system, and this system is having problems now. So, it needs to be prioritised and the government needs to use more resources to fix this system or use a new one. 

“I wouldn’t know how this works on a technical level, but the government definitely needs to fix this fast,” he was quoted as saying in FMT.

The LRT lines, in service since the late 1990s, see frequent breakdowns, the latest of which started on Saturday along the Kelana Jaya line. 

Rail operator Prasarana announced the suspension of services to 16 stations on the Kelana Jaya line for a week beginning today. 

It said its engineers had been unable to diagnose the problem affecting the service’s automated train system (ATC).  

Prasarana president and group CEO Azharuddin Mat Sah told the media that the disruptions were caused by the instability of the ATC system, which meant trains had to be operated manually, thus affecting the entire service schedule of the Kelana Jaya line. 

He said the rail system’s original equipment manufacturer, the Thales Group, would be sending a team from Canada to resolve the ATC issue. 

Meanwhile, PKR communications director Lee Chean Chung urged Rapid Rail CEO Amir Hamdan to step down over the incident. 

He said the LRT service had seen many technical failures over the years affecting thousands of commuters. 

He also asked why repair and maintenance works had failed to prevent such breakdowns. 

In another development, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari has offered 30 Smart Selangor buses to assist Rapid KL in providing alternative transport to commuters affected by the closure of the 16 LRT stations along the Kelana Jaya line. – November 9, 2022.