MAHB Aerotrain – Where Is The Technical Partner…

Recently, in a parliamentary reply, the transport minister said TNB (at number four) is among the top 10 firms with most speeding summonses. The ranking is part of the “name and shame” policy undertaken by the ministry to reduce road fatalities involving heavy vehicles and if they continue to flout the law, suspension or cancellation of operating permits will follow.

Sorry, I digress…

It has been eight months since the controversial privatisation of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). Passenger pass-through numbers seems to be encouraging but the RM456 million Aerotrain project, also mired with controversy, is sticking out like a sore thumb.

The new automated people mover (APM) system has a capacity of up to 270 passengers per trip and using the newly upgraded signalling solution Urbalis Flo (formerly known as CityFlo 650). These trains are fitted with an advanced condition monitoring system to prevent faults, prioritising passenger safety and comfort. The new Alstom trains have undergone rigorous testing by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) from January to June this year.

Alstom has provided more than 30 turnkey APM systems at airports worldwide. 

For over 20 years, Alstom has provided smart, sustainable mobility solutions such as the Kuala Lumpur Sri Petaling and Ampang Lines, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Kelana Jaya LRT, Kajang Line MRT and Putrajaya Line MRT.

The new aerotrain broke down just 31 hours after launch, despite having passed 80 system tests and a 2,000km ‘fault-free run’ and certified fit for service. This process includes independent engineers and a full regulatory review to ensure compliance.

Given that incidents occurred within the defect liability period (DLP), MAHB said it has convened multiple joint technical meetings to identify contributing factors and expedite corrective measures. However, an issue is that different contractors are responsible for different components, such as the power distribution system versus the trains and traction system.

Experts believe the problems stem from the system’s integration with existing support systems built about 27 years ago. 

The latest is, MAHB will be appointing an independent assessor to complement the ongoing review.

The transport minister called the situation “unacceptable” and said the government would not tolerate excuses. He warned MAHB could face fines for failing to maintain satisfactory service. Since its resumption of service on July 1, the aerotrain has encountered 20 incidents.

Honestly, I wonder why the minister, APAD and MAHB are worried and going to spend more money to appoint an independent assessor.

Where is the technical partner in MAHB? 

In an announcement on 4^th February, 2025, GIP said that the acquisition of MAHB represents an outstanding opportunity to leverage GIP’s airport expertise to drive operational, customer experience and commercial improvements and to deliver significant capital projects required to upgrade and expand the airports’ infrastructure. Given GIP’s substantial expertise in owning and operating airports, together with our partners, we can focus on our joint ambition for MAHB to become a world-class airport operator which is competitive, efficient, commercial and service-focused.

Isn’t there any in-house expertise from the technical partner that could have avoided the 20 incidents and save a lot of embarrassment and of course, money?

If we recall, the adviser for the privatisation exercise concluded that the takeover offer price is not fair. Even the non-interested directors found the offer both unfair and unreasonable and advised shareholders to reject it as it represents a substantial discount compared to MAHB’s estimated value per share. The offer was not reasonable due to MAHB’s current growth trajectory and future prospects, with its ongoing and planned initiatives for development.

In 2001, KLIA was ranked 2nd best airport globally and maintained a top ten ranking from 2010-2012. Sadly, by 2023, it slipped to 67th place. 

Are we not able to manage and modernise national infrastructures anymore even with a world-class technical partner? We may not know what is really happening internally because having been delisted, there is reduced transparency. 

In this case, the minister need not invoke the “name and shame” policy and may have a tough time either to suspend or cancel MAHB’s operating permits.

I guess the pangs of embarrassment and shame takes longer to go away.

What say you…

 

Saleh Mohammed