Seri Delima Rep Calls Out Transport Minister Over Penang Airport's Dire Need For Repairs
Syerleena Abdul Rashid drew attention to the airport's broken parking system, water damage, broken taps, worn out seats, and many other issues that the government could address.
By May Vin Ang — 23 Aug 2022, 01:32 PM
Penang State Assemblywoman for Seri Delima Syerleena Abdul Rashid has called on Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong to upkeep the amenities at Penang International Airport (PIA)
In a tweet on Sunday, 21 August, the assemblywoman posted a video calling on the minister to fulfil his promise of maintaining the northern international airport.
"Wee Ka Siong said there isn't enough money to upgrade our airport, but he had previously promised to carry out repairs then pulled it back," she said, adding that the airport is under the jurisdiction and care of the Federal Government, not the state.
Tagging the minister, she lamented, "Watch this video and just look at the state of our airport. Pity the people of Penang."
In the video, Syerleena pointed out the many outdated and broken parts of the airport that the government should address, instead of expanding the airport as they had initially planned
She drew attention to the airport's broken parking ticketing system, stagnant water and puddles around the parking lot, water damage and leaks all over the building's ceilings, broken taps in the public bathrooms, and worn out seats in the waiting areas.
"This is an international airport. This is what tourists see when they first come in here," she emphasised repeatedly in the video.
Previously, Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) had planned to spend about RM1.2 billion to expand PIA
The expansion would have seen the airport's capacity increase from 6.5 million to 12 million passengers annually.
However, according to The Vibes, in October 2021, Wee said the government had no choice but to put the project on hold due to MAHB's financial incapability of funding the expansion after the pandemic.
In the meantime, while waiting for the aviation industry to recover, he said the government will instead look into acquiring more land surrounding the airport to support its eventual expansion.
