Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir today took a swipe at the Penang government, saying that building a new international airport in Kedah was not as wasteful as its proposed tunnel project.
The Kedah menteri besar said building an international airport in Kulim, Kedah, was not a waste as it would be a gateway to the northern states and southern Thailand.
Mukhriz said it Penang had limited land space unlike Kedah, which had enough land for an airport.
"This is not a harbour project where you need space for ships to dock but an airport where land is needed for planes to land. What is the point of building another airport on an island with limited land space?” he told reporters after attending the Pesta Kedah in Kuala Lumpur today.
Mukhriz said the proposed new airport would be able to cope with additional traffic as the Penang International Airport was expected to reach its traffic capacity in about three years.
Yesterday, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guang Eng had disputed the need for another international airport, especially one so near Penang.
Lim also questioned Kedah's need for another airport when its foreign direct investment (FDI) did not come anywhere near Penang's.
"It is not logical, not economically feasible and justifiable for Kedah to have two airports," he said in his office.
He said Penang received FDI amounting to RM19.7 billion between 2010 and 2013, which accounts for 20% of the country's total FDI.
"If judging from that and Kedah needs two airports, this means Penang needs three airports," the Bagan MP said.
He said that Perak also wanted an airport and now, Kedah wanted another one on the southern side of the rice-bowl state, which borders Penang.
"Do we want (the airports) to end up as white elephants?"
The chief minister cited Malacca's RM250 million airport as an example.
"Look at Malacca, they spent so much money to build an airport with no planes. Now it is an empty airport with no planes… they probably fly kites there," he said.
Lim said Penang could always expand the international airport in Bayan Lepas.
"We can always reclaim land as we have made provisions to reclaim land if there is a need to expand the airport.”
Mukhriz said the new airport could be the traffic hub for Perlis, Kedah, Penang and north Perak, which could be used for passenger and shipment of goods.
"Currently the only international airport in Kedah is in Langkawi and it is mainly used for tourists. Not much cargo is moved through the airport.”
He said the project was not a waste of resources.
"To me, the Penang government proposed tunnel project is a waste of funds as it serves only a limited group unlike the airport which will serve the entire northern Malaysia.”
The Penang government has inked a contract with Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd to build the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel and three road bypasses project off Gurney Drive.
Consortium Zenith BUCG is a joint venture between Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd and China Railway Construction Co Ltd, together with Beijing Urban Construction Group, Sri Tinggi Sdn Bhd and Juteras Sdn Bhd.
The Penang government has said the project will help ease traffic congestion and boost the state’s economy although several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were up in arms against it citing environmental issues that it could cause.
The whole project is expected to take 10 years to complete. –TMI
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