THE government expects a full investigation report on the recent power outage at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2) to be completed within two to four weeks, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced today.
Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing, Fahmi said, “Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook informed Cabinet that a detailed report is being prepared to clarify what exactly happened and what actions Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) will take to prevent such incidents in future.”
“The Minister also stated that existing backup systems ensured that critical airport functions remained operational during the outage,” he added.
The power disruption occurred at approximately 2.15pm on Wednesday and lasted for 28 minutes. According to MAHB, the incident was caused by a lightning strike that affected cable connections at the terminal.
While vital systems continued to operate, the terminal experienced temporary darkness and some escalators ceased functioning. MAHB said emergency generators were activated immediately to maintain key services.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who was at KLIA2 then for the launch of the “Tap, Travel and Discover” campaign, criticised the incident in strong terms, describing it as “completely unacceptable”.
“Things like these give a very bad image to our country,” Loke said during the event. “In public transport, any technical disruption beyond 15 minutes is considered major—especially at the nation’s primary gateway.”
Loke noted that upon his arrival at 2.10pm, the event had to be delayed until 2.35pm due to the outage. “Many systems were not functioning. The terminal was dark, escalators stalled, although the information boards were still working.”
He questioned why the backup systems had not engaged as expected, demanding accountability.
“I have instructed MAHB and gateway\@klia2 to prepare a full report within 24 hours explaining the cause. I don’t want excuses—I want a solution and assurance that this will not happen again,” he said.
The outage also caused congestion in certain areas of the terminal and disrupted business operations within retail outlets.
On a separate matter, Fahmi said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed satisfaction with the preparations and full-dress rehearsal for the National Day 2025 celebration, held earlier today at Dataran Putrajaya.
“The Prime Minister conveyed his approval during the weekly Cabinet meeting. He felt the preparations were well-coordinated. What excited him most was the energy and spirit shown by the young people involved in the ‘Human Graphic’ performance,” Fahmi said during a post-Cabinet press conference.
Fahmi added that Anwar had urged all ministers to make time to attend the national event, describing it as a significant occasion for the country.
“He seemed very satisfied with the overall readiness,” he said.
As Communications Minister, Fahmi also shared that the celebration is expected to draw a crowd of around 100,000 visitors.
In addition to the main event, the public can look forward to a wide range of supporting programmes, including Riuh Merdeka, free film screenings, a concert, and a fireworks display.
This year’s National Day celebration will feature more than 14,000 participants, 78 government and military vehicles, seven decorated floats, cultural performances, and an aerial display. - August 29, 2025
