I refer to the news report on 30 June that Qhazanah Sabah Berhad (Qhazanah) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with property developer Berjaya Land Berhad (Berjaya) to “study the feasibility” of relocating the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) from the current site at Tanjung Aru to Kimanis, some 60km away.
There are so many unanswered questions raised with the clandestine signing of the MoU. Is the federal Ministry of Transport (MOT) aware of the exploration of relocation and shutting down of the existing airport? KKIA is expected to reach the maximum capacity limit only in 2037, do we have the urgent need to relocate the airport? Who is paying for the study for relocation which may come up to millions? Private funding by Berjaya or Qhazanah?
I would like to ask Qhazanah, “Why Berjaya?” Why did Qhazanah choose to partner up with Berjaya and not others? Are there no other experts to study on the feasibility and that Qhazanah must pick Berjaya?
It is no secret that Qhazanah has recently awarded multiple project contracts to Berjaya, including development and operation of Integrated Waste Management Projects in Sabah (https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2022/03/25/berjaya-and-qhazanah-aim-to-modernise-waste-management-facilities-in-sabah/) and to develop Bandar Digital Tun Said township located about 5km from Kota Belud town (https://www.nst.com.my/amp/business/2021/11/749443/berjaya-land-qhazanah-sabah-develop-kota-belud-digital-township).
How come Berjaya get involved in so many deals by Qazanah? Is there any open tender? This feasibility study seems to be either a close tender or a direct award.
Furthermore, with Berjaya’s involvement at such a preliminary stage, is it intended for this company to be given an unfair advantage over other competitors to eventually become the operator of the said airport? All airports in Malaysia are under Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), except Senai. Does it mean that MAHB is intended by the Sabah Government to no longer be the operator of the newly relocated KKIA? Is MAHB agreeable to such an arrangement?
This deal to study the feasibility of the relocation of KKIA to Kimanis is mysterious to say the least and the Sabah government should reveal more information. Relocation of airport is about to serve the people of Kota Kinabalu, and allowing them the ease to travel in and out by air. The existing feasible way to link the airport and KK city centre is still by road and passengers ferried by bus, car or taxi.
The question is then can our Sabah Minister of Infrastructural Development Bung Moktar guarantee a pothole free highway to link Kimanis to Kota Kinabalu city centre upon completion of the new airport in Kimanis? I really doubt so, especially when Bung Moktar himself said it may take up to 40 years to complete the First Phase of the Pan Borneo highway in Sabah due to lack of funding (https://www.hmetro.com.my/mutakhir/2021/11/774443/selesaikan-infrastruktur-asas-bung-moktar).
Whilst I share the concern that KKIA was unlikely to be able to expand in its current location near Tanjung Aru / Putatan due to the limited land area and being surrounded by privately owned land, I am of the view that shutting down and relocation elsewhere should be last in the priority list.
Instead, we should still consider to reopen KKIA2 before talking about opening a new one at Kimanis and shutting down the current airport at the current site. according to the National Airport Master Plan 2008, the existing KKIA has a maximum capacity of 21 million passengers per annum (mppa). Before Covid 19 pandemic, KKIA have had operated at 9 million passengers’ capacity (with about 4 million handled by AirAsia alone), so the idea of reopening KKIA2 as proposed by AirAsia before should be reconsidered and its feasibility studied instead.