KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24– Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has requested that all maintenance and improvement projects at the entry points into the country, including airports and ports, be expedited to accommodate the increase in the arrival of foreign tourists.
He said facilities at the entry points into the country needed to be efficient and improved to avoid congestion, like at certain airports such as Tawau, Sabah and Penang.
The prime minister said upgrading work of the aerotrain services at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) should also be completed quickly.
“Not only (airports) in Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang, Alor Setar (Kedah) and Kota Bharu (Kelantan), but also Tawau (Sabah).
“As we know the airport in Tawau is small, not designed to receive tourists from abroad. We have to attract tourists from outside. (So) we cannot have work to repair airports to take up to three of four years,’ he said when opening the 2024 National Craft Day 2024 at the Craft Complex on Saturday.
The event was also attended by Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and Deputy Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan.
Anwar, who is also the Minister of Finance, said the authorities at the affected locations (undergoing maintenance or repair) need to consult the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to expedite the work.
However, he said, the process to speed up the projects in question must be according to stipulated procedures.
