MPs question KLIA2’s May completion date

Aerial view of KLIA2 provided by the Pakatan MPs showing the progress of work.KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers today questioned the stage of completion of the KLIA2, the new low-cost carrier terminal which Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said would be ready by May 1 and be open on June 28.

“We are assuming the announcement (of) June 28 is to buy time,” the DAP’s Tony Pua said, referring to the statement by MAHB senior general manager Faizah Khairuddin last week, where she had specified the “terminal building” as having surpassed the 80 per cent completion rate.

“They are being a bit disingenuous,” Petaling Jaya Utara MP Pua said, questioning the state of completion of the control tower and systems, the apron and the runway.

Showing reporters aerial and ground photographs of the runway and apron of the KLIA2 construction site that were taken within the past two weeks, Pua said: “It’s all still red earth. Red earth that has not settled properly yet.”

Another view of work on KLIA2 showing just a sea of red earth.Pua pointed out that the goalposts for completion were moved repeatedly from the original date of September 2011.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was also at the press conference, said they are ready to visit and inspect the KLIA2 construction site.

“We would also like to request the minister of transport, including MAHB officers, to arrange a site visit to allay our fear, allay our concerns and convince us that everything is on track,” the PKR vice-president said, pointing out that public funds were used in the construction.

“If they have nothing to hide, why not organise a site visit?” she asked.

Nurul Izzah also highlighted the KLIA2’s construction cost, which had previously jumped from RM1.7 billion to RM3.9 billion.

On February 21, MAHB was reportedly confident of sticking to a RM4 billion budget for KLIA 2, despite increases in the prices of raw materials attributed partly to the ongoing My Rapid Transit (MRT) rail project.

MAHB’s Chief Financial Officer Faizal Mansor reportedly said the KLIA2’s cost is the lowest for all airports, pointing out that it is cheaper than Changi Airport Group’s proposed S$1.2 billion terminal four in Singapore with a 17 million passenger capacity.

KLIA2, which is expected to cater to 45 million passengers, will have a new 4km runway, a new control tower and air traffic control equipment.