KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 4 -- The Penang government has defended its emphasis on large-scale infrastructure projects such as flyovers, underpasses and the light rail transit (LRT), asserting they are essential to easing traffic congestion despite criticism from activists and transport experts calling for more affordable alternatives.

State transport executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari said Penang's challenges stem from underdeveloped infrastructure and limited land, making road projects critical to dispersing traffic, in a report Free Malaysia Today.

"It's easy to say let's have more buses, but unless these buses are flying, they need to use the same roads as well," he told FMT.

"These experts who say flyovers and underpasses don't solv...