MP SPEAKS | LRT crash probe committee has no authority to apportion blame

MP SPEAKS | 'Not for the purpose of apportioning blame nor liability’ does not mean no one can be blamed.

This phrase has garnered some attention online and I wish to address it directly.

It must be stressed that the Transport Ministry’s Investigation Committee into the tragic LRT collision and I have in no way stated that no one is to be blamed for allowing the incident to happen. 

There is no “cover-up” as alleged by some quarters.

Let’s be clear - this committee is an investigation committee, not an adjudicating committee. Therefore, it has no authority to apportion blame or to pin liability on any party.

Whatever internal action to be taken against the officers involved in the incident must be governed strictly by the employment contractual terms signed between the respective officers and Prasarana.

When it comes to the determination of blame and liability, due process of law must take place to ensure that natural justice is equally accorded to those who were responsible for the LRT collision.

This committee does not seek to be the judge and the jury. And the ministry has no power to prosecute any case.

When I ordered the formation of the committee to thoroughly examine the tragic LRT collision immediately on May 24, the terms of reference for the committee were made clear in its mission.

We want to prevent something like this from happening to anyone ever again.

The committee’s role was to determine the factors and causes that led up to the tragic incident. This was a specific function the committee was instructed to perform and it had completed it within the time given. 

It was done based on facts and analysis of data obtained and/or provided to the committee in a professional manner. Our major priority was also to ensure the immediate prevention of a similar incident from happening again.

I have also personally visited and called the affected victims whom I can and assured them that we took what happened to them extremely gravely and seriously.

As I have informed through my press conference on June 10, the 23 recommendations approved by the cabinet were all to bring broad changes to Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd’s safety and operative procedures and Prasarana Malaysia Berhad has promised to implement them within the timelines provided.

WEE KA SIONG  is MP for Ayer Hitam and minister of transport.

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