Press Comments by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, to the press after the opening of the DAP National Publicity Conference at Furuma Hotel, Kulua Lumpur on Sunday, 21st August 1994 at 10.30 a.m.
Liong Sik’s statement that he would accept responsibility for the Subang Aiprort radar station fire is meanlingless when he does not resign as Minister for Transport
The Statement by Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik that he would accept responsibility for the Suabang International Ariport radar station fire is meaningless when he does not resign as Minister for Transport
The statement by Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik that he would accept responsibility for the Subang International Airport radar station fire is meaningless when he does not resign as Minister for Transport.
Liong Sik said that he was not surprised that I had called for his resignation, but only why I had been so late to call for his resignation or removal as Transport Minister.
When I first read Liong Sik’s statement this morning, my first reaction was that I should publicly apologise to the people of Malaysia for not calling for Liong Sik’s resignation or removal as Transport Minister when the news of the Subang Airport radar station fire was first made public on Tuesday.
I thought to myself that I should learn a lesson from Liong Sik and announce that I would take ‘full responsibility’ if next time, I do not use the first opportunity to call for Liong Sik’s resignation or removal as Transport Minister if there is another airport, port, railway or transport disaster!
However, I have gone back on my press statements in the past five days to check whether I have to emulate the example of Liong Sik.
I found that there was no need for me to apoligise for not using the first opportunity to call for the removal or resignation of Liong Sik as Transport Minister over the Subang Airport radar station fire, for I had made this call from my very first statement and in every subsequent statement and speech.
Thus in my press statement on Tuesday, I said:”The time has come for the country to have a new Transport Minister.”
On Wednesday, my press statement said : “Malaysians are entitled to ask the Prime Minister to appoint a new Transport Minister for Malaysia as the quota of three Kuala Lumpur Airport fires under one Transport Minister is enough of a dubious world record.”
On Thursday, my press statement said: “Liong Sik should not linger any longer in the Transport Ministry and should vacate the post of Transport Minister. Does he want to wait until a fourth Subang International Airport fire before bowing down to public demand for a new Transport Minister?”
On Friday, my press statement said: “For the sake of the country’s reputation and the safety and lives of air travellers, Liong Sik should resign as Transport Minister without any more delay and let another better Minister take over and end the series of fires at the Subang International Airport and other disasters in the transport field.”
On Friday nigh, at the DAP Perak State 10,000 People Dinner in Ipoh, I said: “As Liong Sik does not understand such a culture of accountability, Mahathir should replace him with a new Transport Minister with any more delay.”
Yesterday, my press statement said: “The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir should act firmly and quickly by removing the present Minister for Transport and DCA Director-General and making new appointments who can regain public confidence about their seriousness, competence and vision to introduce the ‘zero defect’ concept to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the DCA.”
And last night, at the Serdang DAP Anniversary Dinner, I said: “Liong Sik would spare the MCA and the Chinese community of such dishonour if he immediately resigns as Transport Minister.”
I have therefore in everyone of my five statements and two speeches on the Subang Airport radar station fire called for the removal or resignation of Liong Sik as Transport Minister, but Liong Sik has undoubtedly the thickest ‘durian’ skin of all MCA Ministers and MCA Presidents – who has no sense of shame, responsibility or accountability as Transport Minister.