By Emmanuel Samarathisa
MALAYSIAN transport operator Prasarana Malaysia Bhd is remaining tight-lipped over a story by a news portal that its chief executive officer has been suspended over rising complaints about its services.
“We have no comments on this subject at this juncture,” a company spokesperson told FocusM.
Online news publication The Malaysian Insight (TMI), citing sources, wrote this morning that Prasarana CEO Datuk Mohamed Hazlan Mohamed Hussain had been suspended on Dec 24 last year on the back of public dissatisfaction over its light rail transit (LRT) services.
TMI also said Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed the suspension but that it was a board decision. An aide to Loke also told FocusM that the suspension was decided by the board and not the ministry.
Prasarana chief operating officer Nizam Alias will be filling in for Hazlan in the interim. Hazlan, who joined the company on Sept 3 last year, was given the mandate to restructure Prasarana together with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport, and come up with a sustainable financial model.
Prasarana maintains and operates Malaysia’s two LRT networks (Kelana Jaya line and Ampang-Sri Petaling line), KL Monorail, Sunway-BRT and bus services in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuantan and Kamunting. The company is also the operator of the mass rapid transit (MRT) service in the Klang Valley.
But Prasarana has been bleeding red ink since 2014. According to its latest financial results ended Dec 31, 2018, the group registered a net loss of RM5.15 mil against RM2.46 mil the previous financial year. Its total liabilities for FY18 stood at RM35 mil compared to RM30.65 mil the previous year.
Prasarana has yet to publish a statement on the change of roles but is expected to schedule a media conference this week. – Jan 7, 2020
