Bintulu Member of Parliament, Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing acknowledged that the road passing the new airport is the only major problem now and he had been calling on the Public Works Department (JKR) as well as the contractors involved to try their best to expedite their works.

"The contractors have planned that some sections of road will be completed in 2004 and some will be in 2005, but we will appreciate it if the road can be completed ahead of schedule, say like a year ahead the same as what had been achieved in constructing the new airport," he told reporters at the new airport here on Sunday.

Tiong was among the passengers in the first Boeing 737 commercial flight, coded Flight MH2294, to touch down at the new airport and The completion of the road upgrading works would augurs well with the operation of the new airport as it could provide convenient particularly for those travelling through the road to the airport.

At the same time, tiong also requested the road contractor to give serious consideration to the provision of safety to the road users by erecting sufficient warning signs along the way and to improve the surface of diversion sections in order to reduce possible damages to vehicle travelling on it.

The MP also urged the taxi association here to make sure that none of its members are taking advantage of passengers who had to travel further to reach the airport now.

"They must not take up their own stand, say by charging double to passengers who arrived late evening or who are own a night flight from the new airport," he said, while suggesting that all taxis here should be fitted with fare meters in order to ensure a fair deal for both the operators and the passengers.

On the commencement of the new airport operation Sunday, Tiong described the ocassion as being a historical and emotional moment for the people of Bintulu who had to bade a sad farewell to the old airport which had been serving since 1937, while happy to have a new airport in commission.

Meanwhile, Bintulu Resident Ubaidullah Haji Abdul Latip revealed that the Bintulu-Tatau road upgrading works were at
the moment ahead of schedule but stressed that the total completion of the project would still depend on a number of
factors, with the weather condition to be one of them.

Unable to specify the actual percentage of the project that had been completed, he assured that his department would be
working closely with the road contractor to ensure a good progress of the works.

Earlier, Tiong and Ubaidullah were welcomed on their arrival at the new airport by the Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd
(MAHB) executive director Datuk Adnan Shamsuddin.

Also on Flight MH2294 which arrived approximately at 9.25am was Tan Sri Ting Pek Khiing, the executive chairman of
Global Upline, the contractor that had been entrusted to take up and completed the new airport construction project.