KUCHING, Oct 15: Sarawak’s Minister of Transport Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin has called on the federal government to consider including the long overdue upgrading of Kuching International Airport (KIA) and Miri Airport in Budget 2024.
He said he was happy that RM209 million has been included for the rural air services covering Sabah and Sarawak but he expressed disappointment that there was no allocation for the upgrading of Sarawak airports in the proposed budget tabled by Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Oct 13.
“My Ministry had proposed to the federal government through the Ministry of Transport Malaysia on the optimisation and upgrading of Sarawak airports especially to KIA and Miri Airport which had passed their built-in capacity of 5 million and 2 million respectively.
“Early this year, I led a delegation to a meeting with the Minister for Transport Malaysia Anthony Loke in Putrajaya, and the delegation was given assurance that the upgrading of KIA and Miri Airport will be given priority in the coming budget.
“A sum of RM60 million was agreed in principle for Miri Airport upgrading. In fact, previously in 2017, a sum of RM285 million was put up by the Federal Ministry of Transport for Miri Airport expansion project,” he said in a statement today.
Lee also disclosed a delegation from his ministry had met with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) chairman Tan Sri Datuk Zainun Ali in September this year.
He said Zainun and her board members were very supportive on the upgrading of the two Sarawak airports where they had prepared the upgrading layout plan and forwarded the proposal to Ministry of Transport Malaysia.
“The upgrading of KIA and Miri Airport is highly essential and (must) be accorded priority because they involve international flights while the latter also supports the Rural Air Service where Miri is the hub as well as (the centre for) the oil and gas industry offshore air connectivity via helicopter services.
“Therefore, I would like to appeal to (Transport Minister Anthony Loke) to bring it up to the Prime Minister to include the two Sarawak airports upgrading proposal in Budget 2024 so that the projects can be carried out next year.
“My Ministry has been receiving negative comments and feedback on the facilities at both airports and the congestion at the departure halls, especially in Miri Airport where its aerobridges also often break down,” he added. — DayakDaily
