PUTRAJAYA – 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% sea reclamation area,” he said in a statement today.
He said the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry took note of the worries raised due to the reclamation of marine protected areas that would result in the destruction of coral reefs, which are important habitats for various species of marine life and are also the main attraction of Pulau Tioman.
Pulau Tioman, which is gazetted as a marine park, also has natural rainforests and is home to a variety of 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, which will lead to unsustainable tourism,” said Nik Nazmi.
He said the ministry through the Environment Department 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 was exhibited for 30 days starting from June 21 to July 20 this year, and the public has also submitted a total of 1,412 public comments from June 21 to August 4, he said.
Nik Nazmi said the EIA Technical Committee meeting held today found that the proposed new airport will have a potentially very significant negative impact on the quality of the environment, particularly to sensitive receptors around Pulau Tioman, including marine ecology, if continued.
He said the ministry believes the government’s decision not to proceed with the proposed development is in line with the ministry’s mission to prioritise the preservation, conservation, and 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 in order to achieve sustainability and ensure the country’s well-being,” he said.
On April 27 2003, the second finance minister at the time, Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis, said that construction of the new airport project would start that year as soon as the EIA study was completed, but on March 7 2009, the media reported that the proposal was cancelled.
However, at the presentation of the 2018 budget, the government announced that it would carry out a study on the construction of a new airport on the resort island.
The construction of the new airport was proposed to be in Kg Genting, with half of the runway in water and part of it on land for large-sized aeroplanes such as Boeing 737s to land, since the existing airport operating in Kg Tekek only handles special charter flights and only carries about 12 passengers at a time. – Bernama, August 9, 2023
