DAP Sabah questions MAHB over defects in KKIA toilet upgrade

31 January 2026

KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah Chairman Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe has raised serious concerns over the management, supervision and accountability of the toilet upgrade project at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), following repeated site visits that revealed persistent defects despite the facilities having been officially certified as completed.

Phoong said the continued presence of defects pointed to a failure by the airport operator to take effective corrective action, despite issues being highlighted on several occasions.

“Based on my own observations on the ground, the workmanship is not only unreasonable but highly questionable,” he said in a statement. “This situation is compounded by public concern, with netizens questioning how each toilet, upgraded at an average cost of about RM400,000, continues to show obvious defects.”

He said public scrutiny of the project was justified, stressing that facilities upgraded using public funds should reflect quality, comfort and standards befitting a major international airport.

“When tens of millions of ringgit are spent, the public has every right to expect facilities that meet proper standards. What we see instead are defects that should never occur in a project of this scale,” he said.

Phoong said inspections of toilets already listed as completed revealed uneven and poorly laid tiles, rough finishing, loose or improperly installed fixtures, water seepage, malfunctioning fittings and overall workmanship that failed to meet even basic public facility standards.

He described it as particularly alarming that such defects were found in facilities that had already been certified as completed, raising questions not only about the contractor’s workmanship but also about the effectiveness of supervision, inspection and approval processes.

According to reports, 26 toilet facilities at KKIA are being upgraded in stages with a total allocation of RM11.8 million. Sabah News reported that 20 toilets have been listed as completed, while the remaining six are expected to be completed by April or May this year.

However, Phoong said he had repeatedly raised concerns over the quality of the works and had yet to see comprehensive or effective remedial action, with similar defects continuing to surface across different facilities.

“This is not a new issue. When the same problems are repeatedly highlighted without corrective action, particularly in a project involving substantial public funds, it is completely unacceptable,” he said.

Phoong said he had formally raised the matter with Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who had expressed his commitment to personally look into the issue and ensure appropriate follow-up action. He said he believed the Minister would ensure that Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) takes responsibility.

At the same time, Phoong stressed that MAHB, as the airport operator and implementing authority, must bear primary responsibility for the project.

“The key questions are whether there were serious flaws in the contractor selection process and how facilities with clear defects were inspected, approved and certified as completed. MAHB must explain how public facilities costing hundreds of thousands of ringgit each were handed over in this condition,” he said.

Phoong called on MAHB to fully rectify all defects, conduct a thorough audit of the project and clearly establish accountability, warning that failure to act decisively would further erode public confidence in public infrastructure projects.

He added that the issue was especially serious as KKIA is Sabah’s main international gateway, and its construction quality, management standards and public image must be upheld.