Wee not ruling out sabotage in LRT disruption

Wee said he had a discussion with Prasarana Malaysia Bhd (Prasarana) on Wednesday (Nov 9) to look into the cause of the problem comprehensively and not just limited to technical aspects.

"So far, it is due to system and signaling problems. However, the government and Prasarana have decided to appoint an internationally recognised independent consulting company, WSP to be a consultant to look at all aspects including what was stated (elements of sabotage)," he said in a press conference, here today.

He said this when asked to comment on a report by a news portal which reported that Prasarana's former chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Ridza Abdoh Salleh's claim that the service disruption at Kelana Jaya LRT route could be due to elements of sabotage.

On Tuesday (Nov 8), Rapid Rail announced that the LRT service on the Kelana Jaya route was disrupted and had to be halted due to the automatic train control (ATC) system which caused a loss of signal between the control centre and the train.

The next day, Prasarana announced that part of the LRT service on the Kelana Jaya route would be suspended for seven days until Nov 15, involving 16 stations from Kelana Jaya to Ampang Park stations.

The disruption has affected about 200,000 users who have to switch to other means of transport for daily trips which saw traffic in the capital getting congested especially during peak hours.

Wee said the identified cause of the disruption was the Vehicle Control Centre (VCC) and Signaling Management Centre (SMC).

He said the modems and devices for power supply have been changed and even the use of original manufacturer (OEM) diagnostic equipment from Thales Group has proven that the system has returned to stability so far.

In the meantime, Wee said the Prasarana board of directors had approved an allocation of RM150 million to replace the automatic train control system after the LRT collision incident on the Kelana Jaya line on May 24.

He said the procurement process is ongoing and will take 30 months according to the plan which aims to improve the quality of services as well as guarantee the safety of commuters.