RMAF to be completely relocated by end-2016

KUALA LUMPUR (July 3): The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has begun relocating to several locations and is expected to be completed by end-2016, reports The Edge Financial Daily today.

The relocation of RMAF is to make way for the 198 ha Bandar Malaysia, a development by 1MDB Real Estate (1MDB RE), a wholly owned unit of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

“The Bandar Malaysia development will be located at the current Pangkalan Udara Kuala Lumpur (RMAF) in Sungai Besi,” 1MDB said in an email reply to The Edge Financial Daily yesterday, when asked whether it was facing any setbacks either financially or logistically in the development of Bandar Malaysia.

“(Thus) the construction of Bandar Malaysia is expected to start in 2017, following the completion of the current base relocation to eight different sites around the country.”

1MDB RE is responsible to relocate RMAF, and its tasks include developing sites for the RMAF, Royal Artillery Regiment (31 RAD) and the air wing of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).

1MDB RE said the RMAF will be relocated to five sites — Subang in Selangor, Kuantan in Pahang, Sendayan in Negeri Sembilan, Butterworth in Penang and Gong Kedak in Terengganu.

PDRM will be relocated to Subang in Selangor and Ipoh in Perak, while the 31 RAD will be relocated to Kajang in Selangor, it said.

RMAF is also known as the Kuala Lumpur Airbase by most military personnel or Sungei Besi old airport by locals.

According to 1MDB, the facility in Ipoh has already begun operations with the rest expected to be completed by the end of 2016. It is understood that the police and 31 RAD are lodger units at the RMAF airbase.

1MDB RE said it is working closely with turnkey contractor Perbadanan Perwira Harta Malaysia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lembaga Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) for the construction of these facilities.

“The relocation work involves acquisition of selected pieces of land, design, development, plan approvals, construction, provision of related equipment and financing,” it said.

However, 1MDB RE did not disclose any details of the location of the land parcels nor the identity of the landowners involved in the acquisition.

The process of request for proposal (RFP) has started with a call for expressions of interest by CH Williams Talhar & Wong, which is managing the RFP for Bandar Malaysia.