The Kedah state government and federal government are enjoying good and problem-free relations.

Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir said it was not true as claimed by certain quarters that relations between the state and federal government were not good.

"I wish to report that relations between the Kedah government and federal government are indeed good and not facing any problem,” he said at the state assembly sitting in Alor Setar today.

He was winding up the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address by Kedah Regency Council chairman, Tunku Sallehuddin Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, at the opening of the state assembly two days ago.

Mukhriz said the state government-federal government ties would not face any problem as long as both sides acted professionally.

In his address, Tunku Sallehuddin who is also Tunku Temenggong, urged that ties between the Kedah and federal governments be looked after.

He said this was necessary because the state government needed the assistance and support of the federal government to spur the state’s economy.

The state government, said Mukhriz, always raised with the federal government, matters concerning projects for the people, such as creating industrial parks which could provide high-quality jobs.

He said Kedah had submitted applications to the federal government for development projects verbally, and via letters or briefing sessions.

Among them, said the menteri besar, was the briefing by the State Economic Planning Unit given to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak when he visited Kedah last year.

In addition, he said Najib was also briefed on the proposal to build the Kulim International Airport (KXP) during the National Economic Council meeting in the federal capital.

On the position of iconic projects in Kedah which were not included in the 11th Malaysia Plan, he said it did not mean the projects would not be implemented by the government.

For example, he said, the oil and gas project in Pengerang was never mentioned in the tabling of the 10th Malaysia Plan, but to date, RM10 billion had been spent on it.

Mukhriz also said that the state government had several options on the financing of KXP including via the Private Financing Initiative, if the federal government had problems to finance it.

He hoped the federal government would not reject the proposal to build KXP.

The state assembly passed the motion of thanks for the royal address.

- Bernama