Spell out details of Kulim airport contract, says Penang DCM
An artist’s impression of the proposed RM6 billion Kulim airport project. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: The Kedah state government was challenged today to publish details of the contract for the billion-dollar Kulim airport project scheduled for 2026.
P Ramasamy, Penang’s deputy chief minister II, questioned the timing of the development, details of which were announced by the Kedah state government earlier today.
He said it was in “bad taste” to sign agreements for the mega project when the country is being ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people losing jobs and income as a result of movement restrictions.
“It is not that the airport should not be pursued but the time is certainly not now – not when people have no jobs, no food, and are suffering,” he said in a Facebook post this evening.
“What is the priority for the airport now? Is it a move to challenge Penang airport?” he said and raised the possibility that the project was “an effective punishment for a recalcitrant Penang” in a dispute between the two states over the use of water from the Muda river.
He added that, since the Kedah government is involved, it would be in the public interest that they disclose the criteria it used to award the project, whether or not there was an open tender, and if there were any possible inducements.
“If the state followed procedures, then maybe the public should be informed of the criteria that enabled this company to be chosen and not others,” he said, referring to the ECK Group, one of the companies that will be undertaking the project.
Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor had said that the airport project will boost the state’s economy, providing 20,000 jobs for the locals and raising the state GDP to 7.5%.
Ramasamy said the Kedah MB should be looking into the welfare and wellbeing of Kedahans instead of “striking deals with companies or painting a rosy picture of what is to come with the airport”.
“The Kedah government cannot even settle its water debt to the federal government. It cannot provide gainful employment to thousands of Kedahans who seek employment in Penang and other states,” Ramasamy said.
The Kedah government signed a joint venture agreement today with ECK Group to build the Kulim International Airport. ECK will own 80% equity of the project while the state government will own the rest through KXP AirportCity Holdings Sdn Bhd.
The first phase of the project is expected to cost RM6 billion including the cost of land acquisition.
PETALING JAYA: The Kedah state government was challenged today to publish details of the contract for the billion-dollar Kulim airport project scheduled for 2026.
P Ramasamy, Penang’s deputy chief minister II, questioned the timing of the development, details of which were announced by the Kedah state government earlier today.
He said it was in “bad taste” to sign agreements for the mega project when the country is being ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people losing jobs and income as a result of movement restrictions.
“It is not that the airport should not be pursued but the time is certainly not now – not when people have no jobs, no food, and are suffering,” he said in a Facebook post this evening.
“What is the priority for the airport now? Is it a move to challenge Penang airport?” he said and raised the possibility that the project was “an effective punishment for a recalcitrant Penang” in a dispute between the two states over the use of water from the Muda river.
He added that, since the Kedah government is involved, it would be in the public interest that they disclose the criteria it used to award the project, whether or not there was an open tender, and if there were any possible inducements.
“If the state followed procedures, then maybe the public should be informed of the criteria that enabled this company to be chosen and not others,” he said, referring to the ECK Group, one of the companies that will be undertaking the project.
Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor had said that the airport project will boost the state’s economy, providing 20,000 jobs for the locals and raising the state GDP to 7.5%.
Ramasamy said the Kedah MB should be looking into the welfare and wellbeing of Kedahans instead of “striking deals with companies or painting a rosy picture of what is to come with the airport”.
“The Kedah government cannot even settle its water debt to the federal government. It cannot provide gainful employment to thousands of Kedahans who seek employment in Penang and other states,” Ramasamy said.
The Kedah government signed a joint venture agreement today with ECK Group to build the Kulim International Airport. ECK will own 80% equity of the project while the state government will own the rest through KXP AirportCity Holdings Sdn Bhd.
The first phase of the project is expected to cost RM6 billion including the cost of land acquisition.
Can we trust Wee KHAT Siong? Another ECRL in the making? Was he even consulted? Ha ha ha....useless Boh Lam Phar. See lah GE15 Penang lang will give MCA and Gerakan TELUR again.
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Wee: Kulim International Airport approved 'only in principle'
By Audrey Dermawan - October 30, 2020
GEORGE TOWN: The National Physical Planning Council (NPPC), chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, has merely approved in principle a proposal for the Kulim International Airport (KXP) development project, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said the approval-in-principle is subject to further consideration by the Transport Ministry and other government agencies, including the Finance and Home Affairs Ministries, the Department of Environment, the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), among others.
Wee was responding to a call by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow for the federal government to clarify its approval of the KXP, as announced by Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor on Wednesday.
Sanusi had taken to his Facebook page to announce that the Kedah government's proposal to build a new international airport in Kulim is one step closer to reality, with the airport's plans being approved by a federal town planning body.
He said that after six years, the proposed airport has received the approval of the NPPC, which evaluates all large-scale projects in the country.
Chow, however, begged to differ, saying yesterday that the NPPC had not given the go ahead to the Kedah government to begin the proposed KXP project.
He said the NPPC had merely given a list of things which Kedah needs to comply with before they could begin the project.
As such, he called on the federal government to clear the air over the issue.
Elaborating, Wee said the KXP proposal is also subject to the findings of the National Airports Strategic Plan (NASP), which will commence in early 2021, for all 42 existing airports in the country and those in proposal stages.
He added that the KXP project owner would then be requested to provide pertinent information to NASP consultants, with realistic and accurate projections, especially pertaining to passenger and cargo service demands, and airlines that have committed to KXP, particularly during the post-Covid-19 era.
Wee said the basis for the KXP development proposal used by the project proponent is to complement passenger and cargo handling that are currently provided by the Penang International Airport (PIA).
"In this regard, it is prudent to review the proposed development of KXP at a time when PIA is nearing maximum handling capacity.
"Therefore, passenger and cargo demands must be based on robust and reliable facts and data which take into account PIA's maximum capacity and the viability of the KXP project.
"The final approval for the KXP development proposal will only be considered at the conclusion of the NASP study and in compliance with all pre-conditions set forth by the agencies involved, which are noted in technical reports such as the Environmental Impact Assessments, Social Impact Assessments, Traffic Impact Assessments, among others," he stressed.
The Transport Ministry, Wee said, welcomes all proposals from both state governments and the private sector to build airports.
"However, the MOT is duty-bound to ensure that these projects are viable and sustainable as well as able to fulfill all technical requirements established by CAAM and the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM)," he added.
It was announced last year by the former Pakatan Harapan federal government that the proposed RM1.6 billion KXP mega project would be fully funded by the private sector, as the government was severely lacking in funds for infrastructure development.
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My friends in Singapore were not even the least interested in the Kedah airport.
ReplyDeleteAs far as they are concerned, if they want to visit Penang, there is no way will they go through Kedah.
What does Kedah have to lure the Singaporean tourists?