PUTRAJAYA, Aug 9 — Putrajaya has, in principle, agreed not to proceed with the construction of the new Tioman International Airport involving reclamation in Pulau Tioman, said Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
“The Cabinet meeting has in principle agreed not to proceed with the construction of the new Tioman International Airport involving 76 per cent sea reclamation area,” he said in a statement today.
The Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) has taken note of the worries raised due to the reclamation of marine protected areas that will destroy coral reefs which are important habitats for various species of marine and are also the main attraction of Tioman Island.
Pulau Tioman, which is gazetted as a marine park, also has natural rainforests and is home to various wildlife species, with part of the island designated as a wildlife reserve.
“Although the intention of building a new airport is to attract more tourists, the construction of the new airport will damage the natural attractions of Pulau Tioman, leading to unsustainable tourism,” said Nik Nazmi.
NRECC, via the Department of Environment, has completed the initial display process for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the ‘Proposed Development of a New Airport on Tioman Island for Flight Operations Code 4C Covering an Area of 460.50 Acres, Tioman, Rompin District, Pahang Darul Makmur‘.
The EIA report has been exhibited for 30 days, starting from June 21 to July 20, 2023, and the public has also submitted a total of 1,412 public comments from June 21 to August 4.
The EIA Technical Committee (EIATRC) meeting held today found the proposed new airport can potentially have a very significant negative impact on the quality of the environment, particularly to sensitive receptors around Tioman Island, including marine ecology, if continued.
The minister said NRECC believes the government’s decision not to proceed with the proposed airport development is in line with the ministry’s mission, which prioritises the preservation, conservation, as well as the optimal and responsible use of natural resources and the environment.
“This decision also indirectly reflects the government’s efforts in balancing the speed of development with environmental sustainability to achieve sustainability and ensure the well-being of the country,” he said.
On April 27, 2003, then-second minister of finance Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis said the construction of the new airport project would start that year as well, as soon as the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study was completed. However, on March 7, 2009, the media reported the proposal was cancelled.
Yet at the presentation of Budget 2018, the government announced it will carry out a study on constructing a new airport on the resort island.
The construction of the new airport was proposed in Kampung Genting, with half of the runway in water, while part of it is on land for large-sized airplanes such as Boeing 737 to land since the existing airport operating in Kampung Tekek only handles special charter flights and only carries about 12 passengers at a time.
— Bernama
