The government had just held an open day for the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) on 18 Dec last year and a month later, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is going to unveil the Government Transformation Programme Roadmap. No matter whether new plans are included in the roadmap, we can see that the Prime Minister does really take the programme very seriously with high expectation as the government has put in a great amount of resources.

To be honest, the people are still not very clear about the GTP. They only hope that it can really help to resolve problems.

Six departments have unveiled their plans to achieve the six National Key Results Areas (NKRAs). For example, in order to improve public transport services, the Transport Minister announced that the government will spend RM1.5 billion to purchase 35 four-coach trains, as well as to expand the light rail transit (LRT) service from Kelana Jaya. They are going to introduce dedicated bus lanes which are separated from normal roads by barriers and the Bus Expressway Transit (BET) system in which buses under the system will run at 15 to 20-minute intervals during the morning and evening peak hours. When the electrified double track project (EDTP) is completed in 2013, 38 modern trains with heavier loads will be able to run on the flatter, straighter alignment at a speed of up to 160kph. Besides, the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) had also planned to buy used diesel multiple units (DMUs) but the purchase was called off later.

They are purchasing equipment and having expansion plans to increase capacity. However, they do not really resolve the problem. Other than the public will always have to wait for long for a bus, they usually have to take a long walk to take LRT after getting down from KTM while some have to take a taxi for Monorail after getting down from LRT. Taking public transport will be an ordeal if such a problem is not properly resolved.

In order to reduce crime, the Home Ministry has also lined up 55 anti-crime initiatives, including increasing manpower and installing closed-circuit television. It plans to reduce the street crime rate by 20% and overall crime rate by 5% by end of the year. And the most important strategy is to mobilise 3,000 Rela and Civil Defence Department (CDD) volunteers to step up beat patrols.

Stepping up beat patrols in 50 hot spots in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Johor can indeed scare off criminals and achieve the goal of reducing street crime. However, the crux of the problem is the failure of school and family education, changes of social values, high drop-out rates for secondary school students, drug abuse and economic recession. Without eradicating the factors of social crime, there will be more and more criminals and how many criminals can the police shoot? And how long can the government send personnel for beat patrols?

It is the same in providing quality education, improving living standards of low-income households and rural basic infrastructure. In order to increase quality education, it is not merely about identifying 20 or 100 high performance schools (SBTs). Even if they are doing it because they have to, it has to be an increase for both quality and quantity. Building a few more roads in rural areas to facilitate the people is still unable to eliminate poverty.

Therefore, the Prime Minister should take more aggressive measures under the GTP, including the implementation of reward, punishment and dismissal system of the private sector to break the “lifelong secure job” concept of civil servants and truly improve their efficiency and working attitude.

All transformation programmes should not be implemented just because of general elections. Otherwise, it will not be able to sustain for long or withstand challenges. (By LIM SUE GOAN/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily)