At dusk, visitors to Kampung Genting in Pulau Tioman, Pahang, are usually treated to a magnificent display when the sun sets over the South China Sea.

For long-time Kampung Genting resident Azman Awang Mohd, this may only be a distant memory if plans to build an airport just off the coast of his village succeed.

“People come here to enjoy nature... If they build an airport in front of our village...