by Parliamentary opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday, 5th April , 1993:
Police should not press charges against the second intruder into Subang airport security, Mohamad Arif, as he had in fact done a great national service in showing that all the talk about beefed-up airport security were mere empty words
The Police should not press criminal charges against the second intruder into the Subang airport security, Mohamad Arif, as he had in fact done a great national service in showing that all the talk about beefed-up airport security were mere empty words.
It is better for the country to have discovered the shoddy airport security in this matter than to learn of it as the result of terrorist actions out to cripple to civil aviation system – as the price Malaysia would have to pay would be unthinkable.
It is understandable that the authorities are indignant about the latest breach of the Subang International Airport security by Mahamed Arif, 25, especially as it took place within 24 hours of the inspection-visit by the Deputy Prime Minister, Ghafar Baba on last Tuesday.
After all the big talk about beefed-up security, Mohamed Arif has caused intolerable embarrassment to the authorities concerned with airport security, involving the Deputy Prime Minister, the Transport Minister，the Malaysian Airports Bhd and the Police, and this explains why the police had talked about charging Mohamed Arif for trespassing under the Controlled Areas and Protected Places Act 1959(amended 1983), where on conviction, he could be jailed for two years or fined RM$1,000 or both.
The authorities should not take out their embarrassment on Mohamed Arif, who had been described as ‘of unsound mind’, but should be grateful to Mohamed Arif for demonstrating that something is fundamentally very wrong with the security system at the Subang International Airport.
In fact, Mohamed Arif should be rewarded for this ‘public service’ instead of being brought to court under criminal prosecution.
If anyone should have ‘charges’ pressed against him, he is the Minister for Transport, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik, who has now the shamfulrecord of having four security scandals at the Subang International Airport in less than a year.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Hanif Omar, had said that the Subang International Airport had one of the people monitoring system and yet there had been a breach as the people monitoring the system were careless.
He said: “We should not be wasting money on multimillion ringgit monitoring system when those doing the monitoring themselves fall asleep on the job.”
The fundamental security problem at the Subang International Airport is therefore the human problem of leadership, example, commitment and motivation.
As Minister of Transport, Datuk Seri Dr.Ling Liong Sik, cannot provide such leadership, example, commitment and motivation to resolve this human problem, as he seems to be utterly numb and indifferent to further security scandals at the Subang International Airport.
This is why the Prime Minister should not delay any more in appointing a completely new person to be Transport Minister to start a new security era for the Subang International Airport.