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How safe is it really to fly AirAsia?

The safe passage of all passengers for any commercial airline is of paramount importance as precious lives are at stake. There can never be any compromise. The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is therefore duty bound to ensure that the stringent safety requirements are met at all times and no slip-up be tolerated.

It’s for this reason that in one of my parliamentary questions for the June sitting here, I asked the Minister of Transport to state the procedures and regularity of the safety audits carried out for low-cost carriers landing and taking off from our airports. The airlines include AirAsia, Jet Star and Tiger Air. The minister’s reply is posted here.

While the minister’s reply is reassuring to the general public, it seems a recent incident that purportedly happened in KLIA on 20 July 2010 with AirAsia Flight AK718 from Singapore seriously begs the question as to the diligency in which the DCA carries out its ‘safety audits’ where low-cost carriers are concerned. What is most discomforting is the fact that the same AirAsia aircraft that experienced a form of technical problem was allowed to take off so soon after the said incident. Please refer to the emails forwarded to me below for details.

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Teks ucapan semasa membahas Rang Undang-Undang untuk meminda Akta Antipemerdagangan Orang 2007 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007), 15hb Julai 2010

Anti-trafficking of Persons! Anti-trafficking of National Assets!

Tuan Yang Di-Pertua,

Saya bangun untuk membahas “Rang Undang-Undang untuk meminda Akta Antipemerdagangan Orang 2007 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007),” dengan mengalu-alukan cadangan pindaan.

Tetapi Kerajaan perlu merujuk kepada Laporan “UN High Commissioner for High Commissioner for Human Rights to Economic & Social Council” bertarikh 20 Mei 2002. Iaitu:

            The Primacy of Human Rights:

“1.   The human rights of trafficked persons shall be at the centre of all efforts to prevent and combat trafficking and to protect, assist and provide redress to victims. 

2.   States have a responsibility under international law to act with due diligence to prevent trafficking, to investigate and prosecute traffickers and to assist and protect trafficked persons.

3.   Anti-trafficking measures shall not adversely affect the human rights and dignity of persons, in particular the rights of those who have been trafficked, and of migrants, internally displaced persons, refugees and asylum-seekers.”

 

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Parliamentary Questions for June 2010 session

Soalan-soalan dibentangkan di Parlimen oleh Wee Choo Keong, Ahli Parlimen Wangsa Maju, untuk Sessi Parlimen yang bermula pada 7 hb June 2010

Parliamentary Questions submitted by Wee Choo Keong, MP for Wangsa Maju, for June Session of Parliament commencing 07 June 2010

Questions for Oral Answers

1. Tuan YB Wee Choo Keong [Wangsa Maju] asks the Minister of Home Affairs to state beside recruiting more police officers what action has the Ministry taken to curb the rising crime rate in the country, especially in Wangsa Maju and when the Ministry intend to place more police officer in Wangsa Maju Police Station?

2. Tuan YB Wee Choo Keong [Wangsa Maju] asks the Minister of Transport to state whether his Ministry was aware that AIRASIA (AA) kept the airport tax collected from passengers who were unable to travel, what is the total sum of the airport tax kept by AA and what actions the Ministry will take to make sure that all airport taxes collected by AA to be paid to MAHB without delay?

3. Tuan YB Wee Choo Keong [Wangsa Maju] asks the Minister of Finance to state why it has become the trend that the Inland Revenue Department takes more than a month to refund the excess payment of income tax which is supposed to be refunded within 30 days from the date of application for refund?

4. Tuan YB Wee Choo Keong [Wangsa Maju] asks the Prime Minister to state what is the definition of the policy of 1Malaysia when the population is still being defined by Bumiputra and Non-Bumiputra and how would the New Economic Model restructure Malaysia to be a just society so that race will no longer be an issue of contention amongst Malaysians?

5. Tuan YB Wee Choo Keong [Wangsa Maju] asks the Prime Minister to state how can government achieve the 1Malaysia policy in Kuala Lumpur lower courts where all the 22 Magistrates are Malay, out of 23 Session Court Judges an exception 3 Indian and to provide the total number of Magistrates and Session Court Judges of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Others origin throughout the country until June 6, 2010?

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Tek ucapan perbahasan Titah Seri Paduka Yang Di Pertuan Agung pada 29 Mac 2010

Teks ucapan YB Wee Choo Keong,  Ahli Parlimen Wangsa Maju,  pada 29-03-2010 – Perbahasan Titah Seri Paduka Baginda Yang  Di Pertuan Agung

Datuk Yang Di Pertua,

Saya bangun untuk membahas Titah Ucapan Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Yang di-Pertuan Agung. Titah Ucapan Seri Paduka Baginda yang merupakan ucapan dasar kerajaan perlu disokong oleh rakyat jika ianya dilaksanakan dengan ikhlas dan adil oleh kerajaan. Saya menyokong sepunuhnya Titah Sri banginda iaitu “..negara kita terus maju dan rakyat hidup dalam harmoni serta menumpahkan taat setia yang tidak berbelah bagi kepada tanah air yang tercinta.”

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AirAsia paid the airport tax

YB Tuan Wee Choo Keong meminta Menteri Kewaangan menyatakan

(a)  setakat 28 Februari 2010 yang lalu berapakah cukai “airport”yang   dihutang AirAsia?.

(b) berdasarkan program pengembangan  yang diusahakan oleh AirAsia dan aktiviti penjualan tiket “lebih dahulu” melalui online syarikat ini,apakah mekanisme yang diambil oleh kerajaan bagi memastikan syarikat ini akan memenuhi “financial obligation” kepada penumpang?

(c) adakah kerajaan akan melakukan “Bail Out” terhadap syarikat AirAsia    sekiranya syarikat ini jatuh merundum seperti mana yang telah berlaku terhadap JAL di Jepun?

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Soalan-soalan untuk sessi Parlimen 15 Mac 2010

Soalan-soalan bagi Jawab Lisan 1.   YB Tuan Wee Choo Keong [ Wangsa Maju ] minta Menteri Dalam Negeri menyatakan: (a)   Apakah tindakan yang telah dan akan diambil oleh pihak polis bagi mengurangkan kadar jenayah seluruh negara dan terutamanya di Wangsa Maju?, dan (b)  Berapa banyakkah laporan polis berkaitan jenayah yang telah dibuat di Wangsa Maju pada tahun … Read more

Timbalan Menteri Pengangkutan: "AirAsia tidak pernah diberikan hak keistimewaan berhutang cukai lapangan terbang (airport tax)!"

01 Disember 2009

YB Tuan Wee Choo Keong [WANGSA MAJU] minta Menteri Pengangkutan menjelaskan sebab mengapakah Air Asia diberi hak keistimewaan berhutang cukai lapangan terbang (airport tax) RM65 juta (setakat 28-02-2009) dan apakah tindakan MAHB yang telah diambil terhadap AirAsia untuk mendapatkan bayaran hutang tersebut dan apakah jumlah hutang terkini?

YB Tuan Wee Choo Keong [WANGSA MAJU] asks the Minister of Transport to state why AirAsia had been given a special privilege to owe airport tax amounting to RM65 million (as at 28-02-2009) when other airlines were not accorded a similar privilege; and what actions have MAHB taken against AirAsia for the airport tax debt and what is the total current airport tax owed by AIRASIA to-date?

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AirAsia needs fund to reduce debts!

According to the Reuters report of 14 September 2009 …

“AirAsia is trying to raise fund of up to RM560 million by selling 400 million new shares via private placement to reduce its debts. Analysts in Malaysia said last month that AirAsia’s tight cash flow and high debt level was worrying given its commitment to fund aircraft deliveries. Last month it deferred the delivery of eight Airbus A320 aircrafts to 2014 from 2010, which analysts said signals potential over-capacity in the future.”

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