KIA should have quality facilities, says Abdul Karim

KUCHING: Airport facilities, especially at Kuching International Airport (KIA), need to be upgraded to the same standard as other international airports in the country, said Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

In making the call, he said KIA should have quality facilities such as good toilets, efficient check-in counters, baggage check-out and so on like others because it also accepts international arrivals.

“Personally, I see that our airport needs a lot of upgrading and from what I saw too, I am very very disappointed.

“I hope that MAB (Malaysia Airports Berhad) don’t just focus on KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) because

Kuching’s one is also an international airport like the one in Kota Kinabalu as well.

“We do have visitors who come internationally, from other places who come to Kuching, they must also see all that,” he said when asked by the media at a press conference in his office here yesterday.

Pointing out that the number of people passing through the airport now has exceeded all previous projections, he said there is a need for it to be upgraded into a bigger airport.

“But before it gets to that stage, it is not wrong to make sure that the available facilities are suitable.

“Especially when you depart from Sarawak, if you depart for an international destination for example going to Singapore, you enter the departure hall but there is no toilet,” he added, stressing that the standard must be there, whether it is a small or large airport. He thus hoped that the relevant authorities would look into the matter and not just give simple answers.

“I have to admit that what is done for KIA didn’t really hit the mark. Whether it’s in terms of the toilet, whether it’s in terms of the services you have to do,” he said.

Also present during the press conference were his deputy Datuk Snowdan Lawan and other officials of agencies under Abdul Karim’s ministry and nongovernmental organisations.

Before speaking to reporters, he announced Sarawak’s participation at the IMEX Frankfurt in Germany from May 14 to 16 this year.

Abdul Karim (seated second right), Snowdan (seated third left) and other officials show banners related to IMEX Frankfurt during the press conference.