I refer to the Malaysiakini report KLIA East: AirAsia's boss explains why

For a start, it is an open secret that Tony Fernandes is very close to the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Finance Deputy Minister of Finance, Nor Mohamed Yakcop.

However, Fernandes, as a CEO of a private company, is in no position to publicly announce that no taxpayers' money will be used to finance the KLIA-East project. Unfortunately, up to now none of Fernandes' friends in the government have supported his statement.

It will be impossible that such an airport project of this size would not involve taxpayers' money. Policemen as well as immigration, customs and aviation officers will have to be stationed at KLIA-East.

Even if AirAsia and Sime Darby were to be able to pay for their salaries, this is a dangerous precedent to start with. If such a practice is allowed, then any company can also demand for the services of the civil servants as long as they can afford to pay.

I am certain that under the law, such services cannot be ‘rented out’ to the private sector.

Moreover, all airlines are in the business of operating flights for members of the public. I have never heard of any airline involving itself in building an airport and most of all, administering and operating an airport like what has been approved by the government for AirAsia.

An airport is one of the essential and security services of the nation that cannot be given to a private company like AirAsia to control. It is in national interests that all airports be in the control of a government agency.

Last but not least, apart from completely missing the national interest aspect of the matter at hand and speaking out of line as though he’s a government official, it seems that Fernandes just does not ‘get it’ with the many other issues related to the construction of KLIA-East in Labu.

The most important and serious of which is the safety factor with regard to the location of KLIA East in Labu.

Does he realise that the distance between KLIA-East will only be a straight 10 km line away from the KLIA in Sepang? Can’t he foresee the risk of a tragedy waiting to happen?

The writer is member of parliament, Wangsa Maju.