KUALA LUMPUR – The Railwaymen’s Union of Malaya (RUM) is objecting to the reappointment of Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin as Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) chief executive, citing tense relations when the latter helmed the national railway company.
In a November 23 letter to the prime minister, RUM president Abdul Razak Md Hassan said it understands that Rani’s appointment is effective December 1, but panned the move as one backed by “certain parties with vested interests”.
Rani led KTMB from September 15, 2017 to September 14 last year, and went on to take up the chief executive’s post at Kontena Nasional Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the listed MMC Corporation Bhd.
But, his exit was marred by a poison pen letter sent to the Finance Ministry accusing him of wrongdoing. An internal audit cleared him of the accusations.
RUM said his performance had been “unsatisfactory”, and expressed concern that he would engage in union-busting, given the “cold relationship” between the two.
The union went on to raise a few issues questioning Rani’s effectiveness as chief executive in plugging leakages, and amicably solving problems or finding a “win-win solution” in the first Klang Valley Double Tracking project with Syarikat Dhaya Maju LTAT Sdn Bhd, an 80:20 joint venture between privately held construction company Dhaya Maju Infrastructure (Asia) Sdn Bhd and the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT).
“The union is of the opinion that he lacks credibility to hold the KTMB chief executive post given the weak progress (under him),” said Razak.
Instead, RUM is pushing for current chief Datuk Kamarulzaman Zainal, whose tenure ends on October 30 next year, to continue leading the railway firm.
“The union finds him to be dedicated. In fact, he has an idea of how to push KTMB forward.”
KTMB is a wholly owned company under Minister of Finance Inc, but its governance falls under the purview of the Transport Ministry and its minister, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.
The company posted a net loss of RM8.24 million for the financial year ended December 31, 2018, with its external auditor, Deloitte PLT, flagging material uncertainty after total liabilities exceeded total assets on both the group and company levels by RM941.23 million and RM1.08 billion, respectively. – The Vibes, November 23, 2020
