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Passing the buck to MAM is irresponsible, says PKR
Published:  Jun 1, 2012 5:05 PM
Updated: 9:09 AM

PKR has slammed Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek’s comment that the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) should have advised the ministry on the drag race rather than wait to be consulted, calling it an attempt to avoid blame for the accident .

Drag race crash “(The statement) is a cynical and irresponsible attempt by the minister and the BN government to avoid blame for the accident.

“If he (Ahmad Shabery) persists to shift blame and resort to further politicking, it is best that he resign from his ministerial position and accept responsibility for this public disaster,” said PKR vice-presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar and N Surendran in a press release today.

The duo stressed that as the event was organised and attended by BN, the government must shoulder responsibility for the accident rather than pass the buck onto the co-organisers or the MAM.

NONE “How could the government have been so negligent and reckless as to allow the drag race to be carried on in those circumstances?” they questioned, lamenting the lack of barriers at the side of the road where the vehicle had crashed.

They also rapped the minister for making “baseless attacks” against PKR leaders for allegedly politicising the issue, saying that the matter raised “serious questions” about the safety standards of public events.

In addition, they called for a Public Safety Act to regulate such future events, as well as the formation of an independent panel to investigate the incident.

Ahmad Shabery was responding to MAM chief executive officer Razlan Razali’s remarks that the ill-fated drag racing event last Saturday during the five-day Hari Belia festival in Putrajaya was not sanctioned by the MAM nor had the body been consulted over the event.

“I cannot say that since nobody told me, I don’t know,” Shabery had said, adding that MAM should keep tabs on related events, and that the ministry would welcome advice from them.

When contacted, Razlan declined to respond to the minister’s comments, explaining that MAM had sent a letter to the ministry and was arranging a meeting to discuss the matter.

 

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