VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has sent a dispatch to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), requesting to examine the “doctor” title of Tran Dinh Ba, who became famous recently with his opposition against a plan to build Long Thanh Airport.

Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang.

MOT on May 26 released a document providing information relating to the Long Thanh airport project, in which it denied reports on some local newspapers that MOT tried to advertise Long Thanh project with the images of Chek Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong.

It was Tran Dinh Ba, introduced as an aviation expert with doctorate, who raised the doubt that MOT copied Chek Lap Kok’s designed. Ba’s statement has been quoted by most local newspapers. 

MOT pointed out that Ba is not an aviation expert. It said that Ba had never worked for aviation management agencies or aviation enterprises. Regarding the ‘doctor’ title, the ministry quoted its sources as saying that Ba does not have a doctorate.

Therefore, MOT has requested MOET to clarify the problem by examining Ba’s doctorate and making public the examination results.

Ba first drew special attention from the public when he suggested the “golden air route” – the direct air route from Hanoi to HCM City, under which aircraft can fly across Laos and Cambodia, instead of following the current route to save time and millions of dollars.

Ba is also one of the experts who have voiced their strong opposition against the MOT’s plan to build Long Thanh Airport. The experts said that it would be better to expand the existing Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCM City instead of building a new airport in Dong Nai province, because Long Thanh will cost too much money.

Most recently, Ba again appeared on local newspapers when he issued a challenge worth $5 million with a Ministry of Transport’s Deputy Minister on the feasibility of the railway modernization program being implemented by MOT.

A representative of MOET told VietNamNet on May 28 that if MOT only makes a proposal, while it does not attach related documents, MOET cannot request Ba to show original degrees for checking.

Public’s opinions vary about MOT’s request. Dr. Nguyen Thien Tong, who is one of the two authors of the “golden air route” plan, noted that as Ba does not give lectures to postgraduates and does not take any works that require doctor’s degree, he will not have to show his doctorate.

Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Bach Phuc, chair of Hascon, said in Lao Dong newspaper that he saw the doctoral dissertation shown by Ba. Ba proposed to the Prime Minister to approve his dissertation and grant a doctorate.

Thanh Mai