Sultan Abdul Aziz Salehudin Airport Subang.

The Main Terminal with the Control Tower.

The Main Terminal.

The Terminal seen from the runway.

Inside the Terminal.

Subang Airport, later renamed as Sultan Abdul Aziz Salehudin Airport Subang – the pride of the nation. When Malaya got its Independent (Merdeka) on 31 August 1957, Malaya bid farewell to the last British Envoy at Sungei Besi Airport. Subang Airport was only officially open to air traffic on 30 August, 1965 eight (8) years after Merdeka, and just before the formation of Malaysia. It had the longest runway then in South East Asia with 3.7 kilometer in length.

By 1990 the Airport has three Terminals with Terminal 2 as Shuttle service KL/ Singapore and Terminal 3 as domestic.

By the year 1998, KLIA took its shape and all domestic and international flights were transferred to Sepang from Subang. I flew off for my Haj in 1999 through the new KLIA. Some smart Alex in this country, perhaps with the agenda of erasing sentimental and monumental building built by the late Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Terminal 1 was abolished to be converted as Malaysia International Aerospace Center. However Terminal 2 and 3 retained and privatized.

Now 2010, where is the Aerospace Center??

It was a very big mistake that someone demolished Terminal 1 of Sultan Abdul Aziz Salehuddin Airport in Subang. The magnificent building was a masterpiece of that era, strong and the gateway to Malaysia for its economic development especially when Malaysia was at its infancy. The generations of today can see the standard of our Malaysian Leaders foresights then for building of progressive future Malaysia.

If not demolished, Terminal 1 can be converted as LCCT and express rail system can be planning to connect KLIA. At certain part, existing rail line is already in place, just improvise. The Terminal and all the infrastructures are already there, we just need some smart Master Planners. KLIA can be turn over as Asean or Asian hub to serve the region with the right approach and brains.

I had several fond memories of Terminal 1 Subang Airport:

I was in Port Dickson when I got a call all the way from Kuala Rompin Pahang with the instruction of fetching his wife to be, at the Airport arriving from Melbourne Australia. I did so; they got married, got two (2) kids and now divorced.

One night I checked in at the MAS counter for my flight to London. I needed a “smoking seat”. (Those days smoking still allowed during flights). The reply was, “Sorry Sir, night flight to London is a non smoking flight”. Smoking only allowed on day flight to London. I told her to slot me for the next morning flight and I went home. I had to reshuffle all my appointments.

My elder brother was so a very busy man and I could only catch him at the Airport to get his signature to deal with our late father’s writ. I waited like a bloody fool to get his signature and up to this date, the writ still not settled.

I was at the Airport Terminal that evening arriving from Singapore when the Penang/Subang Mas flight overshot Subang and crashed at Tanjong Kupang in Johore. I saw some commotions but I didn’t bother until I watched the news bulletin at home.

May 15, two days after May 13 – I took the Melaka, Subang and Ipoh flight on MAS Fokker Friendship. I landed at Subang and the Terminal was deserted and I remained seated in the plane for my safe sanctuary in ipoh.

I remembered the Control Tower caught fire and all incoming and outgoing went crazy. I had to wait for three (3) hours at Bayan Lepas Penang Airport for a flight back to Subang. MAS finally dispatch a Boeing 747 for a domestic flight Penang/Subang. On top of that I was caught in the plane for another two (2) hours for the clearance to fly in to Subang. The children was crying, no smoking, toilet could not be used and I was one of the few that had a hand phone then and we broke the law.

The Director General of Civil Aviation and the late Airport Custom Chief happened to be my acquaintance and I did receive certain privilege with an Airport Special Pass to receive and assist my mother arriving from her Haj at the Arrival Hall.