by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 21st March 1993:
Call on Dr. Mahathir to appoint a new Transport Minister as Liong Sik has clearly exceeded his quota of scandals with three Subang International Airport security scandal in less than a year
DAP calls on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, to appoint a new Transport Minister for the country as the MCA President, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik has clearly exceeded his quota of scandals with three Subang International Airport security scandals in less than a year.
Liong Sik probably thinks that he is entitled to a higher quota of scandals in his Ministry, and this explains his shocking statement on Friday that he did not think the third security scandal at the Subang International Airport “had tarnished the image of the airport as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had yet to blacklist the airport for any security slip-up”.
In this third Subang International Airport security scandal in less than a year, 16-year-old Shamsul Ramli paid with his life when he breached the 24-hour security surveillance and regular patrols by the 400-odd security staff at the Subang International Airport and Malaysia was again in the international news with such adverse publicity.
May be Liong Sik thinks he is entitled to more Airport security scandals until Malaysia is blacklisted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Malaysians, however, have a right to demand higher stand¬ards of performance and accountability from Cabinet Ministers, especially as the government wants to inspire the people with Vision 2020 to turn Malaysia into a fully developed nation.
It is clear that the three airport security scandals in less than a year have not shaken Liong Sik from his complacency and indifference, which had been highlighted by enterprising reporters who proved that security at the Subang International Airport continued to be lax despite the Shamsul Ramli scandal and tragedy.
A completely new leadership and shake-up is needed at the Transport Ministry and this can only be done from the head down – with the removal of Liong Sik as Transport Minister.