The Bangladesh national carrier Biman Airlines has clarified that it is not responsible for handling cargo shipments for Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

In a one-page letter dated May 31 to Teresa Kok, the DAP Member of Parliament for Seputeh, Biman said it only provides equipment for ground-handling services at Dhaka airport.

The clarification was issued in the wake of a MAS claim the same day at a media conference that it uses Biman Airlines - not Silkways Cargo Services Ltd - as its sole ground handler with duties to accept, weigh, document and load cargo onto aircraft there.

MAS has been at the centre of allegations by a senior employee that it has been cheated of millions of ringgit through under-declaration of cargo weight by Silkways. The airline, however, denied the allegations after conducting an internal inquiry.

Biman clarifies

Kok today urged MAS to provide a "serious and honest" explanation of the contradiction highlighted by Biman's letter, which she received last week. It was signed by ground service manager P Ahmed.

It said: "Biman only supplies the trolley or dolley to palletise and containerise the cargo. The rest of the formalities - such as weighing, executing the airway bill, palletising, containerising and loading - are done by the airline (concerned). Biman's duty is to help the carrier and supply the handling equipment.

"(With regard) to news reports of weight manipulation, we would like to inform you that if there is any weight cheating, it is done by the carriers (concerned).

"Biman has nothing to do with this. So, if there is any weight difference in Malaysia Airlines cargo, it was done by MAS itself or its representative in Dhaka."

MAS senior officials had responded to the allegations earlier by saying that Silkways does not have any "mechanism for committing any under-declaration".

The cargo company, co-owned by Shah Alam MP Mohd Zin Mohamed, was named in the two police reports lodged in Petaling Jaya. He could not be reached for comment today, but had earlier said he is not involved in the company's operational matters.

The reports on April 21 and May 26 alleged that Silkways had committed fraud by under-declaring the weight of cargo, manipulating the shipment date and offering inducements worth millions of ringgit to MAS officials.

MAS cargo senior general manager Ong Jyh Jong, contacted this afternoon, said MAS would have to study Biman's letter before issuing any official response.

'Explain protection'

Kok, however, said MAS should not continue to take the matter "lightly".

She has written to MAS senior managers, urging them to carry out a thorough investigation and to issue an explanation to the public and government on the "truth of the matter".

In late April, Kok had sent a memorandum to the finance and transport ministries, requesting to meet with officials. However she has yet to receive any feedback.

Asked today if she planned to hold another meeting with MAS officials, she said there was "no point" as they are only likely to provide the same explanation as before.

"I don't know why MAS is so protective of Silkways when it is the victim of alleged weight-cheating. I would be interested in an explanation," she added.

MAS was re-nationalised by the government and placed under the Finance Ministry in February 2001, after having run up annual losses after the 1997 financial crisis. It has since shown signs of recovery .