by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and NP for Tanjung, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, December 17, 1994:
Can Liong Sik give a full detailed programme of his activities during the first 60 hours immediately after the Subang radar station fire on August 13, when he literally disappeared and did not show up at the airport or informed the Prime Minister of the fire?
MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik has only proved that he is the ‘top truant’ of the Malaysian Parliament when he mounted a spirited defence of his stewardship of the Transport Ministry in his constituency yesterday, when he should have been in Parliament himself to answer the RM1O-cut motion moved by the DAP National Organising Secretary and MP for Pasir Pinji; Kerk Kim Hock, on Monday.
Instead, Liong Sik did not have the courage or self- confidence to turn up in Parliament in the presence of all Members of Parliament to defend his stewardship of the Transport Ministry, but had to wait until he reached the ‘safety’ of his own constituency in Labis five days later to reply to Kerk Kim Hock’s ‘no confidence’ RM10-cut motion against him in Parliament.
Let me advise Liong Sik that a good and effective Minister will answer in Parliament whatever charges had been made against him in Parliament, and not run away from Parliament to find a ‘safe place’ to answer to such charges.
There is no other Cabinet Minister apart from Liong Sik who runs away from Parliament when charges are made against him in Parliament, to find a ‘safe place’ to defend himself – and this is most shameful and dishonourable.
It is understandable why Liong Sik did not turn up in Parliament to reply to Kerk Kim Hock’s RM10-cut motion, as Liong Sik’s self-defence had failed to answer the charges of incompetence, irresponsibility and unaccountability levelled against him by Kerk Kim Hock.
From Liong Sik’s answers, it is clear that the MCA President feels no shame over the scandal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport having the most number of fires for an international airport in the world, but seems quite proud about it.
Liong Sik’s own conduct and handling of the airport fires is one of the issues awaiting full investigation.
Can Liong Sik give a full detailed programme of his activities during the first 60 hours immediately after the Subang radar station fire on August 13, when he literally disappeared and did not show up at the airport or informed the Prime Minister of the fire?
The question knowledgeable Malaysians ask is: Where was Liong Sik during the first 60 hours of the Subang radar station fire which knocked out the radar system, forcing the air traffic controllers to resort to manual control, as Liong Sik did not visit the airport and the burnt radar station until 60 hours
after the fire.
It is public knowledge that Liong Sik was in Kuala Lumpur when the Subang radar station caught fire on August 13. Why didn’t Liong Sik immediately rush to the airport or report the fire to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed until 60 hours later?
This mysterious 60-hour gap in the itinerary of the Transport Minister must be cleared. Is Liong Sik prepared to make public his full programme of activities during these 60 hours to explain what were the things he was doing which he found to be more important than the Subang radar station fire?
Was Liong Sik involved in official programme of activities during these ‘mysterious’ 60 hours or strictly personal and private programme of activities?
May be the real reason why Liong Sik absented himself from Parliament on the RM10-cut motion against him on Monday was because he was afraid he would be asked this questions!