Lim: Penang airport expansion plan never approved by BN gov't
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the expansion plan for the Penang International Airport (PIA) was never approved by the previous BN government.
Lim said no funding was ever allocated for the project by the Finance Ministry, which was then helmed by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak...
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the expansion plan for the Penang International Airport (PIA) was never approved by the previous BN government.
Lim said no funding was ever allocated for the project by the Finance Ministry, which was then helmed by former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.
"It was not even mentioned in the budget then," said Lim, when met outside the Penang High Court today.
"The PIA expansion plan was only possible with the change of federal government on May 9 last year," added the former Penang chief minister.
Lim said the expansion plan would cost more than RM1 billion, as it expects to increase the capacity of the airport from nine to 20 million passengers.
He added that the technical aspects of the project, like land acquisition, would be ironed out later.
Lim was addressing concerns about the possibility of the PIA "closing down" due to Putrajaya's approval for the Kulim International Airport (KXP).
Read more: Putrjaya must engage with Penang on Kulim International Airport
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had also said that although the RM1. 6 billion KXP will be built by private funding, it was still a matter of concern for Penang, especially its impact on the state.
Responding to Chow's remarks, Lim said the government may be taking a risk by approving the KXP as financial reliance was on private funding.
However, he said there was no need to fret over the closure of the PIA as it was "impossible", adding there were no plans for such a move.
To a question that the Finance Ministry did not object to the KXP project, Lim said the project did not involve government spending.
"I was asked as a finance minister, do you object to a project which does not require funding from the government?
"The ministry has no reason to object as it is a private finding initiative," Lim added.
"The prime minister has made a decision, he felt it is good for Kedah, and we respect the decision," he said.
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