Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has been urged to stop citing `technical problem' as the reason every time there is a flight delay.

Making the call, Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said it was not a good reason to give in terms of public relations practices as it affected public confidence in taking MAS flights.

"MAS is the national carrier and it should not give a bad image by citing `technical problem' every time there is a delay and this excuse is often given regardless whether the flight delay occurs within the country or outside," he was quoted as saying by Bernama in Sungai Petani today.

Zainuddin also said MAS should explain sincerely the problems that they were facing.

The minister was among the 139 MAS passengers who were stranded for more than two hours at the Sultan Mahmud Airport in Kuala Terengganu yesterday on his return flight to Kuala Lumpur.

Last week, Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy also missed a MAS flight to Kota Kinabalu.