All players consulted before KLIA2 site moved, MAHB restates

By Yow Hong Chieh

January 04, 2012

The spokesman declined to comment directly on Pua’s claim that MAHB had not informed government officials of the additional cost that would be incurred from the site shift. — Picture courtesy of MAHB

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — Malaysia Airports (MAHB) has reiterated that the decision to shift KLIA2 to its current location was undertaken only after approval was obtained from all stakeholders.

The airport operator’s statement comes after Tony Pua alleged earlier today that MAHB had failed to inform government officials that relocating the terminal from KLIA North to KLIA West would increase its construction cost by nearly two-fold to RM3.9 billion.

The DAP publicity chief had pointed out MAHB withheld this crucial information when it first proposed the new site to Transport, Finance and Home Ministry officials at a meeting on April 15, 2008.

This was despite the original KLIA Master Plan 1992 warning that soil to the west had “poor bearing qualities and is not suitable for airport construction without undertaking significant engineering measures”, he said.

“Malaysia Airports stands by statements issued earlier, and information given whereby we have explained that the location of the terminal site was guided by the latest Masterplan which was dated December 2008 and would have superseded any earlier master plan referred to by Tony Pua.

“It is clearly explained that the site had taken into consideration all aspects including soil conditions, and had involved all stakeholders including the government and all airlines,” an MAHB spokesman told The Malaysian Insider.

The spokesman, however, declined to comment directly on Pua’s claim that MAHB had not informed government officials of the additional cost that would be incurred from the site shift:

“We can’t be responding to every allegation. That’s just what he says.”

MAHB has said the inflated cost of KLIA2, which has nearly doubled to RM3.9 billion from RM2 billion, was due to its decision to increase the terminal’s capacity to 45 million passengers per annum (PPA) from 30 million.

This was done to accommodate budget carrier AirAsia’s projections that 45.3 million passengers would be using the new low-cost carrier terminal by 2020, it said.

The airport operator also blamed the latest six-month delay on a change in the baggage handling system (BHS), which it said was requested by AirAsia.

But AirAsia has denied asking for a more powerful BHS or a larger terminal, noting that it had only asked MAHB to ensure KLIA2 could be expanded if needed.

KLIA2 will be the world’s largest low-cost carrier terminal when it is completed in April 2013.