Parliamentary select committee holds first round of proceedings on KLIA commotion

KUALA LUMPUR: The 15th Parliamentary Select Committee on Human Rights, Elections and Institutional Reforms has held its first round of proceedings on the commotion that occurred in June involving a Chinese national at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

In a statement on Monday (July 24), the committee said the proceedings touched on the issue of handling not-to-land (NTL) procedures as well as tourists who were issued NTL notices, public complaints on NTL processes and proposals to improve regulations as well as the existing system.

According to the committee, the proceedings, chaired by its Leong Jee Keeng (PH-Selayang) had called representatives from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry as well as the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) to provide information.

However, no representative from the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry not did its minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing attended, due to a prior commitment apart from being advice from his lawyer that any statement issued would be inappropriate as the case is still under investigation.

The committee, however, stressed that the proceeding would not touch on criminal investigations conducted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or the police.

"It is a requirement for the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to attend to give its statement to the committee on issues relating to the handling process of NTL as well as problems for tourists issued with NTL at the meeting which would fixed later," the committee said.

According to the statement, Matta representatives present to brief the committee consisted of its president Nigel Wong; former president Datuk Tan Kok Liang; general manager Maziah Mihat; special work exco Datuk Hamzah Rahmat and research and technology vice-president Mohd Hizzat Mohd Shah.

The next round of proceedings is scheduled for this Wednesday and will be divided into two sessions comprising explanations from the Transport Ministry and Malaysia Airports Holdings, followed by the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department.

On June 29, a commotion occurred at KLIA involving a minister allegedly trying to "rescue" a Chinese woman who was denied entry into the country upon arrival at the airport. – Bernama