THE crawl began 2km away. It was bumper-to-bumper the rest of the way.
As engines began to overheat (somewhat), so did those in the vehicles. Tempers flared, especially when the VVIPs sped by, their motorcades escorted by policemen on motorcycles with sirens blaring. At the height of the traffic snarl, it would take motorists two hours to get to the parking area, only to find their entry blocked as there was no space left, not even for a Smart Fortwo (two-seater hatchback) to squeeze in.
This biennial occurrence is the situation at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC) in Padang Matsirat, every time the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) is in town.
The first three days of the five-day event is open only to VVIPs, foreign government and business delegations, trade visitors and, of course, exhibitors. On these days, the congestion is bad enough. The first day is especially so as everyone wants to witness the launch of the exhibition by the prime minister. This year was no exception, especially considering Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was the one who had envisioned Lima, was launching the event for the first time in more than a decade.
Navigating the congestion on these days can take up to 45 minutes, depending on what time you arrive, but you know that at the end of the line there is usually enough space for you to park your vehicle. But when it comes to the last two days, pandemonium always ensues.
The last two days of Lima are open to the public, and they come in droves. Whenever Lima comes around, more than 100,000 people will cram into MIEC and swarm the tarmac in front of the exhibition centre each day. It is absolute mayhem on the roads, though a more organised sort of chaos exists in MIEC and on the tarmac, perhaps because of the presence of air force commandos armed with assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons.
Some might call it madness, considering that this year’s Lima was the 15th edition, and it would seem logical that Malaysians would have been bored with the exhibition by now. It is madness, one can argue, but not because the Malaysian public should be bored with Lima. After all, there is always something different, something new at the show.
It is madness because after 15 editions and 18 years, there is still no difference in how the public is treated when it comes to the open days. How is it we haven’t come up with a way to reduce the snarl, the waiting in the hot and humid weather?
It is up to the authorities to solve this problem, one which should have been solved a decade or more ago. Everyone involved, from the defence and transport ministries, to the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) should sit down and discuss this. The answer could be just a simple one.
One suggestion is for entry to the road leading to MIEC, the one which runs in front of Langkawi International Airport and the exhibition centre itself, to be limited only to certain people: VVIPs, exhibitors, on duty military and police personnel, MIEC employees and, of course, the media.
For the public, Lada should build parking lots — and many, at that — well away from the exhibition site. Shuttle buses could then be provided to transport these visitors to MIEC.
Such a move would not only improve the traffic situation but also take tremendous weight off the shoulders of the traffic policemen assigned to deal with it. Rain or scorching sun, these poor souls have to stand at their posts. They are the ones who have to deal with the situation and are often the target of many a fuming, vitriol-spewing motorist. And yes, there are many.
Smoother traffic flow would mean less of a headache for these policemen, and definitely fewer problems with irate motorists. Fewer vehicles entering the area would also mean that those working the exhibition will also have space to park their vehicles.
But there is also another plus point for such a move. If public visitors are bussed in, there will likely be a trickle down effect as far as registration is concerned.
As people will now be arriving in batches, registration and entry into MIEC will no longer see snaking lines of a kilometre or so. It will be a smoother, more organised affair.
Lima is an exhibition that will continue to prosper for many years to come. The next Lima will be held in two years’ time.
Let’s hope this is a problem all parties will want to solve. It doesn’t matter whether this suggestion is taken or some other solution is thought up. As long as something is done.
Leslie Andres has more than two decades of experience, much of which has been spent writing about crime and the military. A die-hard Red Devil, he can usually be found wearing a Manchester United jersey when outside of work. He can be reached via lesliea@nst.com.my