PETALING JAYA: An MP has queried Sabah’s state investment arm over its deal with property developer Berjaya Land Bhd for a study on the possible relocation of Kota Kinabalu international airport (KKIA) to a site 60km away.
Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin of DAP said there were many unanswered questions over the deal, such as whether the transport ministry was aware of the possible relocation and who would be funding the study.
He also asked whether the airport would continue to be operated by Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd or if Berjaya Land was being given an unfair advantage to become the airport operator.
Chan urged the state government to reveal more information about the feasibility study. He said the relocation of the airport was not a priority as it was expected to reach maximum capacity only in 2037.
“While I share the concerns that KKIA is unlikely to be able to expand in its current location due to the limited land area, I believe that shutting it down and relocating it should be at the bottom of the government’s list of priorities,” he said.
Chan said it was no secret that Qhazanah Sabah Bhd (QSB) had recently awarded multiple project contracts to Berjaya Land and asked how the company was involved in so many deals with QSB.
“Why did QSB choose to partner with Berjaya (Land) and not others?” Chan said in a statement today. “Are there no other experts to study the feasibility?”
He also questioned whether any open tender was conducted, saying “this feasibility study seems to be either a closed tender or a direct award”.
QSB announced on June 30 that it had signed an understanding with Berjaya Land to explore the feasibility of relocating the airport to Kimanis.
The agreement covers the construction and development of a new international airport in Kimanis as well as a sustainable development plan to be undertaken within Kimanis or on any other land deemed suitable by the state government. - FMT
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