SEPANG, April 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB)
chairman, Tan Sri Dr Aris Othman, hopes managing director, Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad
Abdul Majid, stays on at least until the completion of KL International Airport
2 (KLIA2).
"If we were to bring in a different person or different management it will
be tough in terms of continuity," he said, after presenting prizes to the
winners of ''Indulge and Win'' contest at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
here today.
Last month, Bashir hinted at retiring after his contract with the company
ended in June this year to rest, after having served 40 years in the industry
and nine years with MAHB.
Bashir, 62, was first appointed to the MAHB board in June 2003. His contract
was extended for another two years in 2010.
Aris said it was up to the government to decide.
Meanwhile, he said, KLIA2 was 50 per cent completed and on schedule to start
operations, expected in April next year.
On talks AirAsia would not use the KLIA2, Aris said: "We are just a service
provider. We provide the infrastructure. But the airlines have to decide whether
they want to use it or not."
He said the new low-cost carrier terminal was not only for AirAsia but also
for other low-cost carriers.
"The present site of the Low-cost Carrier Terminal is meant to be temporary
because it is a cargo area.
"Sooner or later airlines can''t operate there because it is congested. The
cargo operations need to be expanded. So they have to move," he said.
Earlier, he presented the grand prize winner of the contest, Chong Sook
Chen, with the keys to Nissan Teana 2.5L V6 Premium.
Another 66 first-prize winners received business-class tickets to Kota
Kinabalu or Langkawi and three-day and two-night stay in Kota Kinabalu or
Langkawi.
The campaign, from Sept 1, 2011 to Jan 31, 2012, offered travellers and
public a chance to win prizes when they shopped or dined at the participating
international airports. -- BERNAMA
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