KTM Update: Controversy over the purchase of DMUs

As you know, TRANSIT has been following the controversial purchase of 4 Diesel Multiple Unit trains by KTMB.

The purchase has already been questioned by MPs in Parliament.

There are also allegations that the purchase had been rejected multiple times by the board of KTMB, and actually pushed through by the Minister of Transport.

Read the following articles and letter for more information and tell us what you think.

• Article: Ong: Train purchase was approved (The Star) – Ong Tee Keat claims that the train purchase was already approved by the Finance Ministry as part of the Stimulus Spending;
• Letter: Waste of funds if KTM can’t compete (The Star) – Ian McKechnie argues that KTMB should be able to afford the purchase of new trains and if not, then competition should be allowed into the industry;
• Letter: Why are we buying old, slow trains? (NST) – A similar letter by Ian McKechnie;
• Article: Mohd Zin Mohamed is KTMB chairman (Malay Mail) – Former Works Minister Mohd. Zin Mohamed (MP for Sepang) has replaced Lim Ah Lek as KTMB Chair since October 1.

TRANSIT Says:

TRANSIT has been extremely concerned with the state of KTMB for a number of years, especially since the aborted privatization exercise that turned into a corporatization instead.

Frankly, we are extremely disappointed in the Economic Planning Unit, Ministry of Transport and Finance Ministry for basically starving KTMB of the funds to purchase trains…while at the same time passing off the approval of RM15 billion to extend two LRT lines to a very-low-density suburb of another low-density suburb!

We are happy to see that some MPs are doing their duty and questioning the purchase of the DMUs. We at TRANSIT can only hope that more MPs would take up the challenge and push the Public Accounts Committee and the Auditor General to investigate KTMB and Prasarana.

Or even better, set up a Parliamentary Select Committee for Public Transport (as well as separate committees for the other National Key Result Areas) and bring new competency, accountability and transparency into this industry.