DAP’s Bukit Gasing assemblyperson Rajiv Rishyakaran today urged acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to “take accountability” for at least eight train derailments that have occurred in the peninsular over the past one year, with five of them happening after Hishammuddin took over as transport minister following the general election.

Rajiv said that the derailment of a goods train near Angkasapuri on Jan 9, which caused delays to the Port Klang-Batu Caves KTM commuter service, was the eighth such incident since Jan 27 last year.

“Train derailments not only risk injury and death, but cause tremendous disruption to the transport of people and goods, causing multiple losses,” he said in a statement today.

Rajiv said that the delay in commuter services due to the derailment was “counter-productive” to the efforts of the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP) target to encourage more people to use public transportation.

“This is on top of the reliability concerns of logistics departments nationwide in using rail to transport goods and cargo, especially to our major ports,” he said.

He urged an immediate investigation into the last eight train derailments and for regular checks and maintenance to be done to both trains and tracks.

Meanwhile, in another statement, Rajiv also criticised inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar for seeking a return of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Rajiv warned that a return of the ISA would also mark a return of operations such as the infamous 'Ops Lalang' in 1987, which saw many social and political activists picked up in an overnight swoop.