THE brand new, much-hyped funicular railway service on Penang Hill experienced its first major breakdown, shortly after it was open to the public after a year-long upgrading work.

“According to a report received, the train was believed to have been hit by a pack of wild dogs which resulted in the communication component of the train being damaged and the air-conditioning equipment and the automatic door thus failed to function,” said Penang Hill Corporation general manager Datuk Lee Kah Choon. Read here.

A team has been dispatched to investigate the breakdown, which shut down service from 7pm on Tuesday till 6.30am Wednesday. Read here.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, however, has publicly voiced his disbelief that wild dogs were responsible for the breakdown. “Frankly speaking, I don't believe this. Can a dog do this?” he told reporters.

He added that he has not ruled out sabotage as a possible cause of the breakdown. “If there is any sabotage, I will take stern action. I mean business.” He apologised to residents and visitors for the breakdown, saying that repairs had cost the state several thousand ringgit, and promised to improve the train service. Read here.

The breakdown mars an otherwise successful relaunch of the funicular railway service. Over the Labour Day weekend, Penang Hill reportedly saw 10,000 visitors swarm into the hill. “We did not want to disappoint the people, especially those from abroad, who came to try out the upgraded funicular train system that was reopened on April 25, after being closed for a year for refurbishment work,” said Lee. Read here.

Interlok banned from displays in Penang public libraries

The controversial book Interlok has officially been banned from being publicly displayed in the state's public libraries.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P Ramasamy said, however, that the state government will not prevent libraries from stocking copies of the book. The order against publicly displaying the book was said to be in protest against the book's use as a text book in secondary schools. Read here.

Ramasamy said that the words “pariah caste”, which were found in the book, were derogatory to the Indian community. “If the author of the novel (Abdullah Hussein) is aware of this, then he would not have committed the mistake. “Likewise, we cannot call the Afro-Americans 'nigger' or 'negro'.” Read here.

Earlier in the week the state executive council had said it would deliberate on whether they will ban the book from state libraries completely. Ramasamy had said that he was against banning the book outright. “Personally, I don’t think it should be banned, but it should not be used as a textbook. If we don’t allow it, then those sitting for examination will suffer.” Read here.

Other news

• Guan Eng tributes the La Salle brothers: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng took time off his hectic schedule to launch the memoirs of the late La Salle Bro Michael Jacques whom he lauded as an “educator of selfless service unmatched in the annals of Malaysian education.” Read here.
• Rising in rhythm: Penang's cities, people and economy: Shih Chung Branch School, along Northam Road (Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah) in George Town, Penang, was a magnificent colonial-era building in the heart of town. It is now abandoned. Read here.
• MTUC: High time Penang urged future investors to pay RM1,300 in monthly salary: Penang MTUC wants the state government to take the lead in championing the minimum wage issue, which has yet to be adopted by the Federal Government. Read here.
• Russian heroes in Battle of Penang: It was dark on the night of Oct 27, 1914 at the Penang harbour. The First World War had been raging in Europe for about four months. Read here.
• Perkasa lodges report on meeting of priests in Penang: The Penang Pribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) has lodged a police report against Jelutong Member of Parliament, Jeff Ooi, who is alleged to be the organiser of a meeting of priests at a hotel at Jalan Macalister last Thursday. Read here.

For more news on Penang, please click through to iGT NetBuzz May 2 to 8, 2011 here. For daily updates, "like" iGeorgeTown on Facebook or join us on Twitter.       

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