Speech (Part 3) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, at the Perak DAP 10,000-People Anniversary Dinner held at the Perak DAP 10,000-People Anniversary Dinner held at Tou Bou Kong Hall on Friday, 19th August 1994 at 8 pm
Malaysians should petition or cable the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamed for the removal of Liong Sik as Transport Minister before lives are lost and more damage is done to Malaysia’s international reputation, investment climate and Visit Malaysia Year 1994
Malaysians should petition or cable the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed for the removal of MCA President, Datuk Seri Lin Liong Sik as Transport Minister before lives are lost and more damage is done to Malaysia’s international reputation, investment climate and Visit Malaysia Year 1994 under his disaster-prone leadership at the Transport Ministry.
The people of Ipoh and Perak should take the lead by sending petitions to the the Prime Minister for the appointment of a new Transport Minister for the sake of the nation, the safety and lives of air travelers and to promote the culture of accountability.
The third fire at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Subang last Saturday, which knocked out the radar system, resulting in a ‘near miss’ incident on Tuesday involving a MAS Boeing 737-400 with 140 passengers and nine crew members (including Perak DAP State Assemblyman Ngoi Thiam Who on board) and an Eva Air Boeing 767-300 aircraft with 241 passengers and 11 crew members, is a mojor blow both to the Malaysia’s international reputation as an investment centre and the Visit Malaysia Year 1994.
The initial attempt by the Ministry of Transport and the relevant authorities to ‘cover up’ the fire to the extent that Mahathir himself was kept in the dark and had to learn of the fire from the newspapers is most shocking.
Liong Sik had also failed to give any explanation as to why he did not rush to the scene of the fire when he was informed of the fire on the same night but only visited the scene 60 hours later.
Mlaysia cannot afford to have a lazy, incompetent and irresponsible Transport Minister whose Ministry has done the most harm to Malaysia’s international reputation as a fast-developing country with high standards and excellence.
From his remarks in Jitra yesterday, it would appear that Mahathir has given up hope that the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Department of Civil Aviation could change its ‘lackadaisical attitude towards safety and security measures” – so long as Liong Sik is Transport Minister.
This is because Liong Sik has shown himself to be the Minister with the most ‘lackadaisical attitude towards safety and security measures” – who was not bothered when there has been no report into the inquiry into the October 1992 subang International Airport control tower fire for about two years although the then Deputy Prime Minister, Ghafar Baba had promised its publication in two weeks at the time.
A new Transport Minister is needed to restore national and international confidence in the reliability and quality of Kuala Lumpur International Airport as an international aviation centre and the prime Minister should remove Liong Sik as Transport Minister.
This would also promote the healthy culture of accountability and appoint a new, competent and dynamic Transport Minister for the country.
When Tan Sri Jaffar Hussein resigned as Bank Negara Governor over the RM30 billion Bank Negara foreign exchange losses scandal, the Prime Minister and other government leaders praised him for promoting the culture of accountability.
As Liong Sik does not understand such a culture of accountability, Mahathir should replace him with a new Transport Minister without any more delay.