KENYATAAN MEDIA
8 Jun 2012
KESELAMATAN PENERBANGAN DALAM MALAYSIA TERANCAM
Kami telah difahamkan bahawa para pegawai kawalan trafik udara di Pusat Kawalan Trafik Udara Nasional (NATCC) Lapangan Terbang Subang telah memberi laporan kepada Pengarah Jabatan Penerbangan Awam mengenai penambahbaikan sistem Malaysian Air Traffic Control Network yang dilaksanakan syarikat-syarikat berikut: SELEC Sistemi Integrati dan Advanced Air Traffic Systems (M) Sdn Bhd (AAT).
Kami difahamkan penambahbaikan ini merupakan fasa kedua dalam Malaysian Air Traffic Services Modernisation Program (MATSMP) Improvement Project (MIP), yang pada awalnya dibangunkan SELEX. Dilaporkan bahawa kos fasa pertama berjumlah RM160 juta, manakala fasa kedua adalah RM120 juta.
Semua sedia maklum bahawa tugas seorang pengawal trafik udara (Air Traffic Controller, ATC) amatlah mencabar dan banyak tekanan oleh sebab nyawa ribuan penumpang kapal terbang terletak dalam tangan mereka. Apa pun sistem atau penambahbaikan sistem yang diguna bukan sahaja wajib selamat dan harus membantu memudahkan kerja-kerja lebih 950 ATC di Malaysia.
Penambahbaikan sistem ini telah diberi kepada SELEX secara “tender rundingan tertutup”, yang menyukarkan pemilihan sistem terbaik melalui proses bidaan kompetitif.
ATC di NATCC Lapangan Terbang Subang telah menerima latihan dalam fasa kedua MIP2 sejak September 2011. Kami difahamkan wujud banyak kecacatan dan kekurangan yang dikenalpasti ATC-ATC ini, yang seharusnya diperbetul sebelum sistem Human Machine Interface (HMI) digunapakai. (Lampiran 1)
Namun kami difahamkan SELEX gagal melaksanakan permintaan tersebut.
Berdasarkan dokumen yang ada dalam tangan kami, sistem HMI ini telah beroperasi sejak 13 Disember 2011. Namun sistem tersebut mengalami pelbagai masalah sejurus bermula operasi, yang menyebabkan keselamatan kesemua penerbangan dalam ruang udara Malaysia pada waktu itu terjejas. Para pengawal trafik udara HMI tidak stabil dengan banyak kelemahan, langsung menyebabkan Pengarah NATCC menghantar satu memo kepada semua pengawal trafik udara, membangkitkan isu “inconsistency in cleared flight level”.
Sepucuk surat yang ditandatangani sebelas orang, yang termasuk timbalan-timbalan pengarah pengawal trafik udara di NATCC bertarikh 4 Januari 2012 telah dihantar kepada Pengarah NATCC untuk menyuarakan rasa kecewa mereka terhadap ketiadaan maklum balas dari pihak berkuasa tentang kecacatan-kecacatan dan kekurangan-kekurangan dalam MIP2. (Lampiran 2)
Pegawai-pegawai tersebut turut menyatakan peningkatan tekanan yang dialami para pengawal trafik udara akibat masalah-masalah yang timbul dari MIP2. Mereka mendesak HMI digantikan dengan sistem yang dahulu, yang mereka anggap lebih boleh dipercayai.
SELEX, yang merupakan sebahagian dari kumpulan Finmeccanica Spa dari Itali, terbabit dalam pelbagai dakwaan rasuah di Itali, Cyprus, Panama dan Namibia. SELEX memiliki 30 peratus AAT, manakala Tirai Variasi Sdn Bhd memiliki 50 peratus dan baki 20 peratus dimiliki Tahap Harmoni Sdn Bhd. Pemilik Tirai Variasi adalah Dato’ Zolkipli bin Abdul dan Ikhwan Hafiz bin Jamaluddin, manakala Tahap Harmoni dimiliki Dato’ Mohamed bin Munip dan Datin Puteh binti Mohamed. (Lampiran 3)
Cukup jelas dari dokumen-dokumen yang cukup memeranjatkan ini bahawa ruang udara Malaysia dan penerbangan-penerbangan di dalamnya mungkin berada dalam keadaan bahaya. Kami dengan ini mendesak Kementerian Pengangkutan dan Jabatan Penerbangan Awam (DCA) untuk:
a) Menjawab pertuduhan-pertuduhan di atas secepat mungkin. Surat pertanyaan berkaitan isu ini telah dihantar kepada DCA dan Kementerian Pengangkutan. Adakah pihak DCA mengeluarkan sijil penyiapan praktikal (certificate of practical completion) sebelum SELEX dan AAT memperbaiki kecacatan-kecacatan yang telah dikesan?
b) Memperinci masalah-masalah yang dihadapi sistem kawalan trafik udara negara yang meletakkan penerbangan-penerbangan dalam ruang udara Malaysia dalam bahaya. DCA harus mengesyorkan rakyat Malaysia bahawa tahap keselamatan sedia ada mencukupi dengan mengadakan satu audit bebas, yang wajib dilaksanakan pihak International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), yang kemudiannya akan diserah kepada semua ahli-ahli Parlimen.
c) Perjelas dan berikan sebab mengapa AAT dan SELEX telah diberi kontrak sebanyak RM280 juta untuk membangunkan MATSMP Improvement Project (MIP) ini.
Kontroversi ini, yang merupakan sebuah lagi kes bidaan tidak kompetitif dan tender rundingan terus telah membelakangkan keselamatan negara dan rakyat Malaysia, seharusnya mendesak kita melaksanakan reformasi parlimen yang membolehkan wujudnya jawatankuasa tetap suatu desakan yang tidak boleh ditolak.
Kami sekali lagi menyatakan perlunya diwujudkan suatu jawatankuasa tetap parlimen bagi perolehan pertahanan termasuk isu kawalan udara, seperti jawatankuasa-jawatankuasa keselamatan negara dan perkhidmatan tentera di Amerika Syarikat.
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai, merangkap
Naib Presiden KEADILAN
Tian Chua
Ahli Parlimen Batu, merangkap
Naib Presiden KEADILAN
N Surendren
Naib Presiden KEADILAN
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MEDIA STATEMENT
8 June 2012
MALAYSIAN FLIGHTS AT RISK
We have been informed that air traffic controllers at the National Air Traffic Control Centre (NATCC), Subang Airport have lodged a complaint with the Director General of Civil Aviation regarding a recent system upgrade of the Malaysian Air Traffic Control Network conducted by the following companies: SELEX Sistemi Integrati and Advanced Air Traffic Systems (M) Sdn Bhd (AAT).
We understand that the upgrade was the second of a two-phase Malaysian Air Traffic Services Modernisation Program (MATSMP) Improvement Project (MIP), which was initially developed by SELEX. It was reported that the first phase of this project cost Malaysian taxpayers RM160 million whilst the second phase, another RM120 million.
It is widely accepted that the air traffic controller (ATC) profession is one of the most challenging and highly stressful since the safety of thousands of passengers are at their fingertips. Any system, or be it an upgrade should not only be fail-safe but also enhance the work of more than 950 ATCs in Malaysia.
This system upgrade was awarded in a closed negotiated tender to SELEX, thereby compromising the best system which could be made available through a competitive bid.
The air traffic controllers at the NATCC underwent training under phase 2 of the project (MIP2) since September 2011. We have been informed that a substantial number of flaws and deficiencies were then identified by the air traffic controllers, to be improved before the new system termed the Human Machine Interface (HMI) would be put into operation. (Attachment 1)
Unfortunately we were made to understand that SELEX has failed to comply with these requests.
Based on documents obtained, on 13 December 2011, HMI started operations. However the system soon ran into numerous problems, putting at risk all flights in Malaysia’s airspace. Air traffic controllers deemed HMI unstable with substantial weaknesses, prompting the Director of NATCC to send a memo to all air traffic controllers, in particular highlighting the ‘inconsistency in cleared flight level’.
A letter signed by eleven signatories, comprising of deputy directors for air traffic controllers at the NATCC, dated 4 January 2012 was sent to the Director of NATCC expressing their disappointment with the lack of response by the authorities with regards to the numerous weaknesses of MIP2. (Attachment 2)
The supervising officers also complained of the increased stress levels faced by air traffic controllers due to the problems with MIP2. They demanded that HMI be replaced by the older system which they found to be more reliable.
SELEX, which is part of the Italian Finmeccanica Spa group, has been embroiled with corruption allegations in Italy, Cyprus, Panama and Namibia. SELEX owns 30 percent of AAT, while Tirai Variasi Sdn Bhd owns 50 percent with the remaining 20 percent belonging to Tahap Harmoni Sdn Bhd. The owners for Tirai Variasi are Dato’ Zolkipli bin Abdul and Ikhwan Hafiz bin Jamaluddin while for Tahap Harmoni are Dato’ Mohamed bin Munip and Datin Puteh binti Mohamed. (Attachment 3)
Clearly, the documents obtained is a shocking disclosure of the precarious nature of Malaysia’s airspace and flight safety. We therefore demand the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Civil Aviation do the following:
a) Immediately respond to the above mentioned claims. Both the DCA and the Minister of Transport have officially been sent our letter of query. Did the DCA issue a certificate of practical completion prior to SELEX and AAT’s rectification of detected defects?
b) Explain the extent of the problems affecting our air traffic control system that is putting our flights at risk. The DCA must assure Malaysians of current safety standards by obtaining an independent audit, to be conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and to be distributed to all members of Parliment.
c) Fully explain and justify the reasons for AAT and SELEX being awarded a reported RM280 million contract to develop the two-phase MATSMP Improvement Project (MIP).
This controversy, which presents yet another case of a non competitive bid and directly negotiated tender at the expense of national security and the wellbeing of Malaysians, make parliamentary reform to allow for the creation of permanent committees a demand that is non negotiable.
We reiterate our call for a permanent parliamentary committee for defense procurement including air service security, such as the national security and the armed service committees in the United States.
Nurul Izzah Anwar
Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai
Vice President Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN)
Tian Chua
Member of Parliament for Batu
Vice President Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN)
N. Surendran
Vice President Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KEADILAN)