by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, July 15, 1993:
Is Liong Sik a member of one of the golf clubs in the neighbourhood of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Subang whose ‘blinding floodlights’ are endangering night landings and the lives of air-travellers and is this the reason why he had not ordered an immediate ban of night golfing in the vicinity of the Subang Airport?
Transport Minister, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, should explain whether he is a member of one of the golf clubs in the neighbourhood of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Subang whose ‘blinding floodlights’ are endangering night landings at the airport and the lives of air-travellers and is this the reason why he had not ordered an immediate ban of night golfing in the vicinity of the Subang Airport?
Liong Sik has not taken a serious attitude of the com-plaints by the Malaysian Airline Pilots’ Association and the Board of Airline Representatives about the ‘nightmarish experiences’ of commercial pilots trying to land at Subang International Airport at night as they fear a misjudgment could cause them to mistake the floodlights in the neighbouring golf clubs as the airport approach lights.
All that Liong Sik has done so far is to express his concern and that his Ministry would listen to the views of the relevant authorities before making a decision.
Surely, Liong Sik is not waiting for some unfortunate air-mishap to take place because some pilot mistook the golf club ‘floodlights’ as airport approach lights before the Ministry would be energised into action?
If such an air mishap should happen, it would not be an admirable record for the Kuala Lumpur Subang International Airport, especially as it had gained international notoriety when it caught fire twice in six months last year.
Liong Sik should take immediate action in the interests of the safety of the air-travellers and order an immediate ban on night golfing and switching off the ‘blinding floodlights’ in the golf clubs in the vicinity of the airport-until studies have proved that these do not threaten night-landings and lives of air-travellers.
Surely, Liong Sik need not be told that the safety of air travellers must take priority over the night golfing of an elite in the golf clubs in the vicinity of the Kuala Lumpur Subang International Airport?