The Transport Ministry today admitted that Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) made a "mistake" in improper payments for servicing of trains as highlighted in the Auditor-General's Report 2013 and promised to take action.

It added the "improper payment" could not be recovered as the servicing company had already prepared the necessary facilities, equipment and manpower but it was KTMB which failed to deliver its trains for servicing.

"Upon verification and checking, we found the party that made the mistake was KTMB which certified the payment after which the Railways Assets Corporation (PAC) made the payment," said Transport Ministry secretary-general Loong See Wool ( photo ).

He said this at a briefing at the Institute of Integrity in Kuala Lumpur today attended by top civil servants to address media queries about issues raised in the second series of the Auditor-General's Report 2013 which was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

The report noted that the PAC made a payment of RM99.94 million to CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co Limited (CSR ZELC) for servicing of the six-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU).

However, it said between 24.9 percent to 50.4 percent of daily servicing was not conducted for five months and failure to deduct this from the sum constituted "improper payment".

The PAC had in the report, explained it was merely the paymaster and acted on KTMB's approval.

'Contract needs to be revised'

However the sum of RM99.94 million was not solely for the daily servicing which only takes 90 minutes but included other more complex level 1 and level 2 servicing which takes three hours every week and 12 hours every month respectively.
 
The latter two servicings were complied with.

Loong said that failure to send for daily servicing can also affect the trains' five-year warranty.

"On that ground, action will be taken against KTMB’s fleet planners," he said.

Loong said KTMB had explained that the train could not be delivered for servicing as they needed to be used to ferry passengers as well as the depot for servicing being located far away in Sungai Buloh.

"All these were not anticipated by KTMB when they recommended the maintenance schedule when they entered the contract

"This will need to be taken into account when we revise the contract for there to be certain gaps for servicing instead of having to send every day," he said.

He added a new depot in Seremban due to be completed at the end of this year will also help resolve the schedule problem.

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