Senator gesa gantung helikopter BO-105

A senator urged the immediate grounding of all BO-105 service helicopters involved in the tragedy that occurred between Miri Airport and Long Lellang Port in Sarawak last night. Senator Lingeshwaran called for this measure to ensure the safety of doctors, nurses, Ministry of Health staff, flight crew and the local population who rely on the affected services.

While the PDU operations are carried out by private companies under government contract, government liability cannot be dismissed. The government has a duty to ensure any contractor utilizes aircraft that adhere to the highest safety and flight standards, he said in a statement. One of the BO-105 PDU helicopters that was en route from Miri Airport to Long Lellang Port missed the Long Lellang STOL Port last evening.

Four Ministry of Health staff and one flight crew member died in the incident. Lingeshwaran indicated that if the investigation finds that age, maintenance records or aircraft condition contributed to the accident, the government should take strong action against the implicated company. Based on the aircraft's records, he said, the BO-105 registration 9M-LLF built in Germany in 1991 was not a new aircraft.

He noted that the aircraft with serial S-867 had previously operated under registration in Germany, the United States and South Africa before being used in Malaysia. Clearly, production of the BO-105 model was discontinued in 2001, making the aircraft approximately 35 years old with more than three decades of operation history. The government must reassess the use of aging helicopters and ensure contractors replace them with more modern and suitable ones, he emphasized.

Human life cannot be valued based on contract costs or operational profits. Proactive measures must be taken now without waiting for a second tragedy.