The latest KLIA Aerotrain breakdown this morning is yet another embarrassment that raises a serious question: Where is the leadership and accountability of the Transport Ministry under its minister YB Anthony Loke? How many more times must Malaysians and international travellers via KLIA tolerate the same failure?
Since the Aerotrain system was relaunched on July 1 after a RM450mil upgrade, it has already recorded more than 20 breakdowns - this despite still being within its two-year defect liability period. This is not a minor technical glitch but an indication of a clear failure in supervision, enforcement, and accountability involving both the contractor and the operator.
Minister Anthony Loke must come clean with the public. What action has been taken against Alstom, the contractor responsible for maintaining 100% operational availability for one train and 99.6% for both trains under the contract? Have penalties been imposed, or has the government merely issued another warning? People deserve transparency, not excuses.
It is no longer acceptable for the ministry or Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to defend the situation by claiming that the manufacturer “responds quickly” whenever a disruption occurs. Constant firefighting is not management. Rather, it is mismanagement.
The ministry must take charge and set a new operational benchmark: zero disruptions. This is not an unrealistic goal; This is the minimum standard expected of a modern airport system in a world-class facility like KLIA.
To restore public trust, MCA Youth calls on the ministry to immediately establish an Independent Audit Committee to review every aspect of the Aerotrain project, ranging from its contract terms, maintenance schedules, and the performance of both Alstom and MAHB and others. In addition, the ministry should introduce a public, real-time monitoring dashboard to allow Malaysians to track the Aerotrain’s operational status at any time.
Beyond that, the ministry must commit to quarterly performance reports to Parliament, ensuring full transparency and accountability in how KLIA’s systems are maintained and managed.
If decisive action is not taken now, KLIA’s reputation as Malaysia’s main international gateway will continue to deteriorate, and public confidence in the ministry will be irreparably damaged.
The Aerotrain is more than a transport link between terminals. It is a symbol of Malaysia’s reliability, efficiency, and progress. Every breakdown chips away at that image. Time has arrived for the government to stop apologising and start delivering results.
Mike Chong
MCA national Youth deputy chairman
