In a statement, PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the latest incident – a breakdown in the baggage handling system at KLIA Terminal 1 on Saturday which caused delays of up to four hours – raised serious concerns about the reliability, preparedness, and management of the country’s transport infrastructure.
He said the disruption was part of a broader pattern of recurring problems affecting systems under the transport ministry’s purview, pointing to the recent service interruptions involving the Kelana Jaya LRT line and the Putrajaya MRT line, as well as other technical faults which led to delays and temporary suspensions that impacted thousands of daily commuters.
“When disruptions occur across multiple modes of transport – whether at airports, urban rail systems, or related transport operations – it points to broader challenges in operational management, maintenance standards, system resilience, and the effectiveness of contingency plans.
“Public transport infrastructure is a critical national asset that must operate consistently, efficiently, and reliably – especially KLIA, which serves as a key international transport hub and a gateway for tourism, trade, and investment.”
He urged the transport ministry to provide a transparent and comprehensive explanation for the issues involving agencies under its purview.
Takiyuddin said the ministry must also disclose the actual causes of these failures, including whether preventive maintenance regimes were adequate, whether system upgrades were proceeding smoothly, and whether existing contingency plans were truly effective in addressing operational disruptions.
He also called for accountability if weaknesses, negligence, or management failures contributed to the incidents.
“The public deserves assurance that corrective measures are being and will be implemented firmly and effectively,” he said.
Transport minister Loke Siew Fook yesterday called for an emergency meeting with the relevant agencies after the breakdown in the baggage handling system at KLIA Terminal 1.
Loke said the meeting would review the SOPs governing breakdown management at Malaysian airports, with a specific focus on response time, passenger communication, and contingency protocols.
He said although the baggage handling system was restored that same evening, “a technical fix does not close the matter and the incident points to something that must be addressed at a deeper level”.