This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on July 2, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The federal government via the Ministry of Transport (MoT) will review the proposal for the development of the Kulim International Airport in Kedah, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar.

The ministry, he said, had instructed the Kedah state government to present the proposal for Kulim International Airport to the National Physical Planning Council (MPFN).

“MPFN, chaired by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, will look into the proposal for Kulim International Airport and will present its recommendations in accordance with the Town and Country Planning Act,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

“The ministry of transport will then review the proposal based on the recommendations of MPFN,” Kamarudin said.

The Kedah state government is also in talks with the Penang state government — which has an existing international airport within its state boundary — alongside MoT on the proposed private-initiative airport, with an initial meeting conducted on May 28.

This follows a decision made during the 133rd Menteri Besar and Chief Minister meeting on Feb 26, Kamarudin added.

He was responding to a question from Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (PH-Tanjong) on the latest update on the Kulim International Airport.

Asked whether discussions on the proposed Kedah airport will cause any stalling on the renovation of Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas, Kamarudin clarified that the renovation — undertaken by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd — is ongoing, and will not be affected by the talks as Kulim International Airport is a privately funded initiative.

Kamarudin also clarified that the MoT had not received any proposal for a new international airport in Penang.

He was referring to a local news report in mid-June speculating that there were two private companies planning to develop a whole new international airport in the island-state.