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By Soo Ewe Jin.
IT takes about 30 minutes to reach the top of Penang Hill using the funicular railway system which has a history dating back to Oct 21, 1923.
In reality, of course, this could take longer, depending on the queues, especially on holidays.
Part of the romance in taking this railway is that it has a middle station where one has to stop and switch coaches.
In my growing-up years, I remember how excited we were whenever we neared the interchange as we could see the other coach heading towards us.
Penang Hill was where we shared ghost stories during our bungalow stays. My alma mater, which incidentally shares the same Oct 21 “birthday” as this railway, also had an annual Hill Run when we raced to the top of the hill via the Moon Gate entrance.
On a more personal note, it was also up on the hill that I had my first steamboat dinner with my wife on our honeymoon.
So I can sympathise with the rumblings among Penangites over a proposed RM40mil new system that will supposedly cut travelling time by 10 minutes, eliminating the need for a middle station to switch coaches.
I would like to echo the views of the Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) president Dr Choong Sim Poey when he said: “It makes no sense to say the main reason for changing the system is to allow passengers to reach the top of the hill quickly. Nobody takes the train up Penang Hill to get to the top in a hurry.”
An irate reader put it this way, “This would be like replacing the Tower Bridge with a modern new bridge over the River Thames. After all, why retain an antiquated lift-bridge when there are no more big ships plying the river?”
I think Penangites, especially those outside of Penang, appreciate the fact that with the North-South Expressway, we can get from Kuala Lumpur to Penang in four hours, or even less.
Those of us who had to endure the long journeys via the trunk road understand the need to cut travelling time, especially if it is by more than four hours.
After all, we are in a hurry to get back to Penang to savour the best food in the country.
But once we are in Penang, we like to take things a bit slower. I certainly do not want to zoom up Penang Hill although I would appreciate better scheduling and less waiting time.
A colleague in Penang, who, by the way, comes from Malacca, says we Penangites are too sentimental.
He is right.
But we have a lot to be sentimental about. I am sure our hearts (and that of the Chief Minister) leapt with joy when George Town and Malacca were declared Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Sentimentality aside, I do understand the need for development but let’s not go for those places that make Penang unique.
Whenever I go home, I prefer to take the ferry into the island. It is probably nostalgia but when I approach the island from this direction, I see the real Penang.
When I enter via the Penang Bridge, I see almost a replica of the Klang Valley, more so when there is a jam.
Taking the bus from One Utama or Sunway Pyramid and arriving at Queensbay Mall, it feels like I have travelled four and a half hours and arrived at the same spot.
The shops, the apartments, and the signages are the same.
But I know there is a real Penang beyond. And certainly the funicular railway is one of the gems that make Penang the Pearl of the Orient.
To change its distinct character will certainly make it harder for the Pearl to shine again. **Republished with permission. This article first appeared in the May 11, 2009 issue of The Star. Deputy executive editor Soo Ewe Jin believes the future of Penang is not about huge infrastructural development but in smaller creative ventures that enhance the quality of life index. Related articles
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