PRESENT POINT POWER

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January 11, 2007 20:40 PM

Penang Airport Contractor Issued Stop Work Order

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- The contractor that carried out the resurfacing work on the Bayan Lepas International Airport (BLIA) runway two days ago has been issued a stop work order pending the result of an investigation into the airport closure.

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad the order was issued following the instruction by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy to conduct an immediate investigation into the incident. However, the order would not disrupt the daily operations of the airport, it said in a statement here Thursday. The airport had to be closed from noon until 3pm on Tuesday, resulting in flight delays and cancellations, after a gap was found on the runway following a resurfacing job carried out by the contractor earlier the same day. Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon's had called on the Transport Ministry to conduct a thorough investigation, claiming that the incident was due to human negligence and that the contractor could not complete the resurfacing on time because there was not enough pre-mix. = = = = == = = =

The Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh was fuming when this shoddy resurfacing work done on the runway had caused a 3-hr closure and has speculated that there was human negligence. This is the New Year and most probably some new company inexperienced in the resurfacing of the runways has been awarded the new contract and treated a runway as a "normal road". When there is insufficient pre-mix, just leave a gap there and complete it like we have seen being done in almost all roads. This is most probably the likely scenario without even our Transport Minister ordering an investigation. What an unfit contractor who is interested in the money and without any responsibility. The Chief Minister had a point in fining such people but they will escape (and with protection) if there is nothing stipulated in the contract on this issue. No one would expect they would leave a job half-done on a runway but it is the habit they have been doing for roads. Maybe just a word of sorry and the matter are closed.

Time and again government contracts were given and delays & shoddy work were the result (like MMR2). As long as no loss of lives was involved, time will "solve the problem". When the money is already pocketed and spent, they don’t even have to pay to rectify for their errors and mistakes. Excuses would be given by the relevant authority that it was not design problem and blame it on the weather, water leaking into gaps and causing corrosion.

In this runway incident, fortunately the "gap & loose pebbles were spotted" and corrected. As a disaster like the scale in Taiwan airport for the Singapore Airline did not happened, the faulty party would most like be given a warning not to repeat this “mistake” and the cycle would be repeated.

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January 10, 2007 15:50 PM Koh Regrets Airport Closure

PENANG, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon wants the Transport Ministry to investigate yesterday's incident which resulted in a three-hour closure of the Bayan Lepas International Airport. He believed that the incident was due to human negligence. Koh said this was based on his understanding that the contractor entrusted to carry out resurfacing of the airport runway could not complete the work on time because there was not enough pre-mix. "I deeply regret the incident because in those three hours, about 20 passenger and cargo flights were affected and many passengers were stranded. It happened because of human error and negligence," he told reporters after a New Year gathering with civil servants here. He said the Transport Ministry should investigate the matter so that action could be taken to prevent a recurrence. Koh suggested that a system be introduced to fine contractors who failed to do their job properly. He said the Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) management should learn from the crash in Taipei several years ago and precautionary measures should be taken to prevent a similar mishap from happening in the country. The Bayan Lepas International Airport was closed from 12.30pm to 3pm yesterday for security reasons due to loose pebbles found on the runway. It was re-opened after repairs were carried out.

ABOVE & BELOW: When flights are delayed and the only way you can get information is looking at the arrival/department display consoles.

The closure resulted in 19 flights being delayed and two being cancelled. Koh said the airport closure also affected the marketing sector due to delays in delivery of goods and, to some extent, the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 campaign. He also said that MAHB and Malaysia Airlines (MAS) should improve on their information system for the convenience of passengers. He said the situation was a little chaotic yesterday when several flights had to be re-routed to the KL International Airport and this was compounded by a breakdown in the MAS information system. "Passengers have to be informed if their flights are delayed so that they can plan ahead," he added.

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January 10, 2007 16:01 PM

MAHB, DCA Ordered To Conduct Immediate Investigation

DIverted… A MAS aircraft diveretd from Penang landed at the runway of the KLIA at 3.31 pm Tuesday. The airport had to be closed from noon until 3pm yesterday, resulting in flight delays and cancellations, after a gap was found on the runway.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 (Bernama) -- Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy has ordered a thorough investigation into the resurfacing job that resulted in a three-hour closure of the Bayan Lepas International Airport (BLIA) on Tuesday. The airport had to be closed from noon until 3pm, resulting in flight delays and cancellations, after a gap was found on the runaway following a resurfacing job carried out by the contractor earlier the same day. "I'm very unhappy... I have directed MAHB (Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd) together with the DCA (Department of Civil Aviation) to look into this matter and submit the report as soon as possible," Chan told Bernama Wednesday. He said he wanted them to find out whether all the necessary procedures and best practice had been adhered to when the resurfacing work was carried out. "I also want to know who should be responsible, the contractor or the officials in charge of supervising the work," he said. He also extended the government's apologies to passengers affected by the temporary closure. Chan was responding to Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon's call to the Transport Ministry to conduct a thorough investigation, claiming that the incident was due to human negligence and that the contractor could not complete the resurfacing on time because there was not enough pre-mix. MAHB, in a three-paragraph statement on Tuesday, said the airport had to be closed for safety reason as loose pebbles were discovered on the runway and that the repair work was carried out immediately.

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ABOVE & BELOW: When they announced Flights are delayed, what choice have you but to "sit down and wait"

The MAB in Penang got a “lot of red faces” trying to explain for the sudden closure of the airport for more than two hours. And the main cause was the shoddy resurfacing job that was done during the early hours of the Tuesday morning from 1am to 6 am.. Is it a new inexperienced contractor that was doing the job? Or could it be incorrect mix of materials that can caused “gaps and loose pebbles” on the runway. This is a bad situation as the safety of passengers is involved.

ABOVE & BELOW: Even for foreigners, there is no escape but to "sit and wait"

Flights are run on tight scheduled this sudden closure could only caused much inconvenience as flights would be delayed, diverted and cancelled. MAS and AIRASIA and an international flight from China Airline was affected and diverted to KLIA and the passengers were taken to Penang by buses.

January 09, 2007 22:13 PM

Mixed Reaction From Passengers Over Flight Delays

PENANG, Jan 9 (Bernama) -- While some passengers took it in their stride, others vented their anger at airlines for not having informed them on the temporary closure of the Bayan Lepas International Airport, Tuesday and the rescheduling of their flights. The airport was closed for repairs to the runaway between 12.30 pm and 3 pm after a gap was found following a resurfacing job from 1 am to 6 am, Tuesday. Alias Arshad, an AirAsia passenger bound for Kuala Lumpur said he only knew about the closure of the airport when he checked in at 1 pm. He said AirAsia should have informed the passengers either by telephone or SMS on the flight delay to prevent them having to wait for a long time at the airport. A passenger who identified as Eric from France said that for a tourist like him a two-hour flight delay was a waste of time as there were a lot of things he could have done if he were already in Kuala Lumpur. He was a passenger of a Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight. However, another MAS passenger Cheah Chiang Sun said he did not mind the wait as the airport was closed for the safety of passengers and airline crew.

ABOVE: Young & old must also "sit & Wait" But the only consolation is they provide you with free meals (BELOW) through "meal coupons"

"Airport security and safety shouldn't be compromised. Never mind a two- or three-hour flight delay as long as our safety is assured. Anyway, I'm not in a hurry and I have plenty of time as my meeting is only tomorrow," he said. A passenger who introduced himself as Ee said being a frequent traveller he has grown accustomed to flight delays and rescheduling. "I'm used to it. A two-hour delay is common. When I came to Penang the day before yesterday from KLIA, the flight was also delayed," he said. A MAS spokesman said the passengers of the rescheduled flight were informed of the cancellation of their flights and were given food coupons. MAS has cancelled flights MH1140 and MH1145 as well as MH1150 and MH1155 (Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Kuala Lumpur).

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January 09, 2007 18:59 PM

Penang International Airport Closed For More Than Two Hours

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 9 (Bernama) -- The Penang International Airport, Tuesday was closed for more than two hours from 12.45pm until 3pm following a "very urgent repair work" after some gap was found at the airport runway, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Tuesday. Chan said the gap occurred due to some resurfacing work at the airport runway that had been carried out between 1 and 6am, Tuesday. "After the airport was opened for operation today, the airport official found some gap on the airport runway and this posed some danger especially to the bigger aircraft. "This has prompted Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAB), the operator of the airport, to close down the runway for an urgent and immediate repair work since 12.15pm today," he told a news conference, here Tuesday. Meanwhile in Penang, a MAB official met at the airport said that the first flight took off at 3pm right after the reopening of the airport. He said five flights were delayed and two were cancelled, while a direct flight by China Airlines from Taipei was directed to KL International Airport following the short closure of the airport.

"The passengers of the plane (China Airlines) will be brought by road," he said, and did not want to elaborate further on the matter. Meanwhile MAB Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur contacted here today said they will be issuing a statement later this evening.

Air Asia Station Manager for Penang Kenneth Tan told Bernama that two flights of the airline, AK6314 and AK6315, were delayed due to the closure of the airport, Tuesday. The Airbus A320 from Kuala Lumpur-Penang which is expected to land at 2.30pm was delayed until 3.30pm, and this has caused a delay to its flight AK6315 which was supposed to leave Penang for Kuala Lumpur at 2.55pm to 3.53pm. He said 250 passengers of the airline had been affected by the delay. Meanwhile, MAB in a three-para statement issued this evening said that the runway of the airport had to be closed for safety reason as loose pebbles were discovered on the runway and repair works were carried out immediately.

ABOVE: Enquiries at the airline counters are just a waste of time as the prople manning them are just as clueless as you are

The closure caused delays to Malaysia Airlines flights - MH653 from Penang to Singapore, MH1142/MH862 from Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Medan, MH1146/MH1147 Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Kuala Lumpur, MH1148/1149 Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Kuala Lumpur, MH1140/MH1141 Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Kuala Lumpur. Other flights delayed by the closure are China Airlines CI673/674 Taipei-Penang-Taipei, Lion Air JT286/287 Medan-Penang-Medan, Air Asia AK6314/6315 Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Kuala Lumpur and a cargo flight FX024 (Fedex), it said. MAB said Malaysia Airlines also cancelled two of its flights MH1140/MH1145 Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Kuala Lumpur and MH1150/MH1155 Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Kuala Lumpur. "Malaysia Airports would like to apologise to all for the inconvenience caused by this closure," it said.

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Nation ; STAR; Tuesday January 9, 2007

Runway repairs cause delays, cancellations at Penang airport

PENANG The Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas was closed from noon to 3.30pm Tuesday to facilitate repair works on the runway. As a result, 10 domestic and international flights were delayed or cancelled.

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January 10, 2007 16:01 PM

MAHB, DCA Ordered To Conduct Immediate Investigation

DELAYED… A MAS aircraft lands at the runway of the BLIA at 3.31 pm Tuesday. The airport had to be closed from noon until 3pm yesterday, resulting in flight delays and cancellations, after a gap was found on the runaway. Pix: K.Ganeson.