LABUAN: Air travellers exiting from Labuan airport are furious and fed-up on the need to wait in long queues to have their luggage manually checked one by one by Customs officers because both X-ray baggage scanners at the airport were out of order.
Slamming the Customs which collects good revenue from duties and Malaysian Airports Bhd which collects passenger fees for the shameful situation, Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce Chairman Datuk Wong Kii said:
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“The failure of efficient baggage checking service conveys a poor impression of the island and is not befitting the island’s image as an International Financial and Business Centre (IBFC).”
He added that such was also not expected at a classed airport like Labuan’s.
He noted that tourists leaving the airport after their Chinese New Year holiday break were shaking their heads over it in frustration when their neatly packed baggage was messed due to the search.
According to Wong, there were no excuses for the situation.
He said there were two X-ray baggage machines at the airport and one had been out of order for months and left neglected.
“If it had been attended to, there would still be at least one functioning machine but none now.”
Wong said the worst part was that the problem developed during the Chinese New Year festivity when travel was at its peak.
