IN KUALA LUMPUR
I STILL remember my first ride on the LRT - Malaysia's version of the MRT - in Kuala Lumpur, more than a year ago.
Standing at one end of the platform to avoid the masses, I thought to myself: why was everyone crowding in the middle? Wouldn't those carriages be too crowded?
At the same time, the locals were giving me strange stares.
A few minutes later I realised why. The length of the train was only half that of the LRT platform. It zoomed past me towards the centre of the platform.
I stood at my end, bewildered. Then I made a dash for it.
The rest of the trip completed my LRT experience, as I stood face to armpit with what felt like a million other passengers.
Actually, it was just 400. That was the maximum capacity of the KL's old two-carriage LRT trains, which had been running since 1998.
So imagine my delight when a new four-carriage train pulled up in town last month (Jan). They were a sight for sore eyes.
I have taken them on a few trips now and they are brighter, more spacious, and even seem to smell better.
Most importantly, can actually hold large groups of people. Capacity has doubled and while the trains are still packed, at least you don't have to face an armpit for the whole journey.
And the people have noticed.
The LRT's ridership has already gone up, according to recently released figures.
6.2 million passengers took the trains in January (2010), a big jump from the 5.5 million who did so in the same period last year. That works out to about 17,000 more commuters daily.
Currently, about six sets of the new trains are running, but these will be gradually increased to 35 by 2012. Waiting time will be slashed from three to two minutes when that happens, authorities say.
Better public transport is among a laundry list of goals Prime Minister Najib Razak wants to achieve in his national Key Results Areas (KRA).
Other targets include transparency, improving education and combating corruption.
But it's simple, visible targets like public transport that I think his administration should focus its efforts on first.
Another good place to start would be crime.
These are urgent issues that are always on the people's minds and can probably be tackled more quickly.
It's not that the other KRAs are not important. They are worthy - and urgent - causes as well, as his government seeks to win back the favour of its citizens. Malaysia's urbanites, in particular, voted overwhelmingly for the opposition in the last general elections.
But cutting corruption and improving transparency are also tougher battles and harder to quantify, certainly in the short term. And the voters want the changes to start now.
Improving public transport or reducing crime does not mean that all the ills of the government will immediately be forgotten. But it is a start that they can build on.
Now if only they will get cracking on those taxi driver touts.