The government has roped in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to evaluate KLIA2 following AirAsia’s refusal to move to the new airport due to safety concerns, says acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

However, Hishammuddin skirted questions on whether he was prepared to guarantee the airport's safety and insist on an assessment from ICAO first.

"There are no issues, but this matter is still being played up... If that is still the concern of the public, then we will ask ICAO to look at the safety.

"ICAO has agreed and a team will be coming here on Monday," he told a press conference at KLIA2 this afternoon.

Asked if he was prepared to give his personal guarantee on KLIA2's safety, he replied: "That is why we are moving to ICAO so what you should do is then ask ICAO."

Hishammuddin, in an apparent reference to AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes without mentioning his name, said the budget airline’s chief was free to argue with ICAO.

"Unless he can find fault with ICAO then let him argue with the ICAO," he said.

When pressed again on his guarantee of safety, Hishammuddin ignored the question.

However approached after the press conference, when asked for the third time, Hishammuddin said: "Just wait for ICAO to come out with the report."

The Edge Malaysia Weekly  had on April 7 reported that among AirAsia's conditions to move from the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) to KLIA2 was indemnity against disruption to its operations.

The low-cost carrier had cited depressions in airport's taxiway, runway and apron which could cost "aviation incidences".

Earlier, Hishammuddin claimed a report by independent consultant Ikram Premier Consulting had found there were "no safety issues".

However, when pointed out that AirAsia had quoted the exact report about the the problem, he replied: "We can remedy that periodically but if we go into hat kind of debate on a daily basis it will never end. That is why I have decided the ICAO be asked to come on board.

" If AirAsia thinks there are problems, with Ikram, then they have to find problems with what ICAO finds out," he said.

He reiterated Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's insistence that AirAsia move to the new airport, adding that “the people will judge” AirAsia if it refused to do so.

Hishammuddin said he was confident the airport will receive its certificate of completion and compliance (CCC) in a few days' time.

Before the press conference Hishammuddin surveyed the airport with his wife Marsilla Tengku Abdullah where a dry run was being conducted by some 4,500 people, mostly by national service participants.

"If the airport is not safe, I would not have brought my wife. Aside from bringing my family, there are also 4,500 people in here right now," he said.

"I don't want individuals with agendas - those who have interests - to jeopardise something we all Malaysians should be proud of," he added.

'100 percent completed'

During the visit, the airport appeared largely completed except for shoplots still being renovated. Flooring of the departure hall was also in progress.

Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi when approached by journalists said that the airport's construction was over.

"The construction you see are only retail shops doing renovation. As for (airport) construction, it is 100 percent completed, there are no more problems," he said.

He added the airport tax at KLIA2 will be the same as the RM32 charged at LCCT for the first year.

"It is a promotion, after the first year, we leave it up to the government to revise," he said.

The KLIA2 which was supposed to be a new low-cost carrier terminal was first requested by AirAsia at a projected cost of RM2 billion.

However, after repeated delays and the cost ballooning to RM4 billion, the airline became a vocal critic of the project.

It had complained that several unwanted features had been added to the original plan, pushing up the cost, which in turn could translate into higher airport tax for passengers.