RM74,000 approved to repair faulty airport escalator
MIRI: Malaysia Airport Berhad ( MAB) has approved an allocation of RM74,000 for the repair of a faulty escalator at Miri Airport.
Assistant Minister for Tourism, Datuk Lee Kim Shin, said the repair works were being carried out while waiting for the escalator, along with another two that were fully replaced.
“MAB has approved a total allocation of RM74,000 for the repair work but we do not have the actual figure on the repair work yet,” he said when met yesterday.
He added the three escalators at Miri Airport would be replaced with new ones but since the process would take a long time, the repair work had to be done as an immediate measure.
Lee added that the spare parts had arrived and the work had started since Aug 15.
The contractor had been given three weeks to complete the repair work.
“Tenders have been put out for the replacement of the three escalators. It (tender) is being processed and is expected to take six to eight weeks. Once the tender is awarded to the successful contractor, it will take about six months for everything to be in place.
“Since we need to have working escalators in the airport now, we have to repair them first,” he said, adding that the Department of Occupational Safety and Health ( DOSH) would come in to ensure that the repaired escalators were safe before they were put in place.
Lee said the most important thing at the moment was to ensure all the escalators and other amenities at the airport, including the elevators and the air conditioning system, were maintained according to schedule.
“I also want MAB to ensure that it has sufficient funds at all times so that it could make repairs whenever there is a breakdown. We cannot wait too long to repair the facilities,” he said.
A local man and a tourist escaped possible injury at Miri Airport in June by jumping off a malfunctioning escalator in the nick of time.
They had taken the escalator to get to the departure hall at Level 1.
As they were nearing Level 1, the tourist saw the steps of the escalator breaking apart suddenly.
Instinctively, he grabbed hold of the man standing behind him and together they jumped off the escalator.
Apart from the escalators, Lee said MAB had also approved an allocation of RM150,000 to upgrade toilet facilities at the airport.
“We have received numerous complaints from members of the public about poor toilet facilities at Miri Airport.”
Lee also said he had been receiving complaints that monitors at the airport displaying flight details were not functioning.
“I have forwarded the matter to the airport manager and have received his response through whatsapp that the monitors will be replaced with new ones,” he told reporters.