Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said that for now, the ministry, through the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), would take punitive action against Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd so that a “clear message” would be sent to companies, including government-linked corporations, to provide the best service to the public.
“Regarding the move to halt (the aerotrain service), we have yet to consider doing so. This is as we have started (taking action against MAHB),” he said when winding up the debate on the supply bill for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“Yes, there are service disruptions, and we are asking MAHB to ensure that the original equipment manufacturer will provide a guarantee that they will provide the best service. For the last three months, they did not have any issue for 99% of the time.”
Loke was responding to Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang), who asked whether the ministry would consider halting the aerotrain service following the “embarrassing” breakdown early on Tuesday morning, which forced passengers to walk along the tracks in the dark while carrying their luggage.
He said he was also angered and embarrassed by the recent breakdowns, and vowed to take punitive measures, as well as demand accountability from MAHB.
“MAHB must hold the contractor accountable for these breakdowns. Why couldn’t they deliver the quality of service expected of them, especially since this service is still new?” he asked.
Yesterday, Loke was reported as having ordered Apad to open an investigation paper into MAHB following the service disruptions.
Penang LRT project
On the Perikatan Nasional MPs’ lack of support for the Penang LRT project, Loke took aim at opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin who, while debating the supply bill, claimed that Penangites had told him they did not need the project.
He questioned how many people Hamzah had actually spoken to for his “survey”, noting that a previous study on the project showed 97.67% of Penangites supported it.
He also said the federal government has never neglected the transport infrastructure needs of the east coast states, citing ongoing efforts to complete the East Coast Rail Link project by 2027.
“I hope MPs on the other side do not harbour feelings of envy or question the (LRT) project awarded to Penang,” he said.
Loke’s remarks drew the ire of Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut), who accused the minister of using offensive language against opposition MPs, citing Standing Order 36(4).
A brief heated exchange ensued between Che Mohamad and government backbenchers, which ended after Loke retracted his earlier remark about envy.