Top on the list would be SPAD chairman Mohd Isa, according to MoT minister

By P PREM KUMAR / Pic By BERNAMA

The Ministry of Transport (MoT) will seek the resignations of all political appointees on the boards of various agencies under its purview, including port authorities nationwide.

MoT Minister Anthony Loke (picture) said the individuals are given a week’s time to resign honourably, or face dismissal from the ministry.

Top on the list would be Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, Loke told a press conference in his office yesterday.

“Mohd Isa should immediately resign and take cue from Tan Sri Shahrir Samad of the Federal Land Development Authority,” he said, referring to Shahrir’s resignation as the agency’s chairman after Barisan Nasional’s (BN) defeat in the 14th General Election a fortnight ago.

Both Mohd Isa and Shahrir were veterans of Umno, a key component party under the previous BN government.

Loke said political appointees in the port authorities should also resign immediately, to enable new credible candidates to fill in the positions.

“They know who they are, they should resign honourably before the ministry sends them termination letters,” he added.

Separately, Loke said the government has agreed to extend the contract with US-based Ocean Infinity Ltd to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, until May 29.

He said the request for extension was submitted by Ocean Infinity and it was deliberated in the Cabinet meeting yesterday.

“The search began in January 2018 for 90 days, after that there have been two extensions.

“Because the deal is we don’t pay until there is discovery, we have agreed to extend the search. But this extension will be the final one,” he explained.

The BN-led administration had agreed last January to pay Houston-based Ocean Infinity up to US$70 million (RM278 million) if it finds the plane during a search in the southern Indian Ocean that is expected to end in June.

Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, in one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries.