I REFER to the feature on Malaysia Airlines & Malaysia Airports Bhd titled Ready to fly (Insight, StarMag, June 14).

It was indeed fascinating to read about the baggage handling control room and the systems put in place by MAS and MAB to ensure the smooth and safe transportation of our baggage after check-in. Sadly, it also brought back memories of a horrible experience I had on my return from London on MH1 on May 26.

As a frequent business class passenger, I can usually estimate the length of time it takes for my baggage to arrive at the carousel. Usually quite fast. However, on that day, our Minister of Tourism was on board the same flight with her entourage, so it took a while before business class baggage arrived. I thought nothing of it.

On my arrival home, I immediately opened my large soft bag containing my shopping – shoes and handbags (which I had put in one bag to facilitate smoother and faster checks at Heathrow for VAT refund claims).

To my horror, I found two items – wrapped and still in boxes – missing. They were handbags for my two-year-old daughter, one from Chanel and the other, Louis Vuitton. My bag had been locked with a TSA lock. I also had two other large suitcases, but they arrived intact.

Obviously, the baggage handling system at KLIA is not as secure as it should be, if baggage handling personnel have the time to open a bag and steal two boxes, re-zip and lock the bag, then place it on a tray. Are there no cameras to monitor activities down there? Does everyone have access to our bags at any time with the use of TSA locks?

While relating my experience to a friend who travelled back from London that same weekend, I was not shocked when she told me that her soft bag had been opened, too, and someone had stolen a box of champagne and re-zipped her bag!

Surely this isn’t purely coincidental. So unbecoming of a world class airport. In fact, very Third World.

I have since spoken to quite a few frequent travellers about my experience, and apparently thefts at KLIA are very common. I have made reports/claims with MAS, but even if I did receive a full refund for the stolen items, some things are just irreplaceable. .

I do hope that by highlighting this issue, both MAS and MAB will take it seriously and place immediate controls to ensure the safety of our checked-in baggage.

Puteri Badrinise Zakuan-Alauddin