By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 20: Sarawak’s plan to build a world-class international airport at Tanjung Embang is not for the next election but for the next 50 years, a foresighted move to create a complete ecosystem of connectivity that will unlock opportunities for future generations.
Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap highlighted this in dismissing Padungan assemblyman and Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen’s call to abandon plans for the new airport project in favour of merely expanding Kuching International Airport (KIA).
“Chong’s proposal is the equivalent of telling a growing family to keep patching up a cramped house and pretending it can somehow become a bungalow.
“The hard reality is that KIA has already reached its physical and technical limits. The runway cannot be extended any further, which means Kuching will never be able to host larger, long-haul aircraft. That limitation alone locks Sarawak out of future aviation growth. Is this really the kind of ‘vision’ Chong wants for Sarawak?” he questioned in a statement today.
He said the proposed RM100 million ‘expansion plan’ is little more than a cosmetic exercise. “You can repaint the walls, add another cupboard, or rearrange the furniture, but the house remains too small. In aviation terms, the runway length, airside capacity, and surrounding land constraints make KIA unsuitable for the next stage of Sarawak’s development. Sarawak must not be trapped in a short-sighted cycle of stopgap measures.”
The proposed Tanjung Embang site, Yap stressed, is not just about a passenger terminal but a bold, integrated vision as the new airport is planned to connect seamlessly with Sarawak’s deep-sea port, creating a powerful logistics hub for trade, cargo, and investment.
“It is about building a complete ecosystem of connectivity. Our neighbours are constructing modern infrastructure for the next generation, while Chong seems content for Sarawak to remain stuck in yesterday’s limitations,” he said.
Yap underscored that this long-term vision reflects the foresight of Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg who has consistently championed the idea that Sarawak must leapfrog and not playing catch-up.
“His vision for the new airport is not just about handling more flights or bigger planes — it is about positioning Sarawak as a regional hub that integrates air, sea, and digital connectivity. This is part of the Premier’s broader strategy to transform Sarawak into a modern, competitive economy, able to attract global investors, facilitate high-value industries, and open new frontiers in tourism and trade. That is statesmanship — building for the next 50 years, not the next election cycle,” he emphasised.
Yap also reminded critics that Malaysia itself had faced a similar crossroad three decades ago, with Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang officially began operations on June 27, 1998, after relocating the nation’s primary international gateway from Subang.
He noted that Subang Airport with its Terminals 1, 2, and 3 had been the country’s main aviation hub since the 1960s but by the early 1990s, Subang had reached its physical limits and the Malaysia government then took the bold step of building KLIA on a completely new site in Sepang, chosen for its flat terrain, expansiveness, and long-term capacity.
“At the time, critics said KLIA was too expensive and unnecessary. Yet today, KLIA is indispensable to Malaysia’s economy and connectivity, handling over 50 million passengers in peak years and serving as a major international gateway. The same foresight is what Sarawak requires today.
“This shows clearly that aviation planning must always be forward-looking. If Malaysia had followed Chong’s logic in the 1990s and merely kept expanding Subang, KLIA as we know it today — with its capacity and global connectivity — would never have existed,” he said.
He cautioned that like KLIA, Sarawak’s new international airport will require careful long-term planning, approvals, and phased construction.
“Realistically, the completion and opening of the new Tanjung Embang airport could land around 2035. This is not an overnight project — it is a decade-long effort that must begin now if Sarawak is to be ready for the demands of the future. GPS is planning for the next generation, not the next election. You don’t start looking for an umbrella only when the rain has already begun,” he said.
Rejecting Chong’s comparison to debt-driven federal mega projects of the 1980s and 1990s, Yap emphasised that Sarawak is investing from a position of financial strength, built on prudent management of oil and gas revenues, renewable energy, and new income streams.
“This is not extravagance — it is foresight and responsible planning under the Premier’s leadership,” he explained.
He further pointed out that the so-called RM100 million mentioned in Parliament was not even a confirmed allocation, but merely a proposal under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
“Let us be clear: Sarawak has contributed hundreds of billions of ringgit over the decades to the federal government through our oil and gas resources. For the federal government to fund a new international airport in Kuching is not asking too much — it is only fair. Instead of settling for crumbs, Chong should be demanding full federal funding from the Ministry of Transport under his own DAP colleague Anthony Loke,” Yap argued.
Highlighting Sarawak’s bold moves toward aviation autonomy, including its own airline, Air Borneo, Yap stressed that the new airport is central to the State’s aspirations.
“A modern airport, together with our own airline, will transform Sarawak into a true regional hub for tourism, trade, and logistics. This is about unlocking opportunities for the next 50 years, not patching ceilings for the next five,” he said.
“Perhaps Chong is satisfied with ‘good enough’ for now. But Sarawak cannot afford complacency. We must plan and build infrastructure that secures our future. Let us not forget that the very same voices once said KLIA was a waste of money — and today, Malaysia could not survive without it. History proved them wrong, and history will prove Chong wrong too. That is the difference between narrow political point-scoring and genuine long-term leadership,” Yap concluded. — DayakDaily
