By A. Stephanie
Another international airport in Kedah – in Kulim, to be precise? Try as she might, Tiger can’t find a reason for wasting so much money on this one. Better a runway expansion in Penang.
There has been much hue and cry over the proposed Kulim International Airport (KXP), after the news surfaced last June when Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir announced that the two-runway airport would cost RM1.6 billion.
Within days Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai went on record that the ministry was considering it, as well as the Penang state government’s request for a second runway.
In the ensuing months Mukhriz has defended it as taking up capacity from Penang, as the Pearl of the Orient’s existing airport is soon to reach full capacity – the same reason Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng asked for a second runway.
While Lim said Penang’s airport saw users increase 10% last year, Mukhriz has remarked that its cargo clientele dropped by the same percentage, and held up Kulim as an alternative.
Last month, Mukhriz renewed this tone, telling reporters that the Kulim airport would start off as a cargo terminal, building on his November state budget address that another 40 or so hectares will be dedicated to Kedah Aerocity, an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul hub to be built right next to the 600 hectares of land approportioned to KXP.
Incidentally, KXP is what Mukhriz has christened as his baby. The International Air Transport Association, which normally assigns codes to airports, has not done so on account of the airport not being in existence yet.
Though news stream on the proposed airport has not been steady, both Lim and Mukhriz have not minced words, and various parties are still, on paper, carrying out feasibility studies on the proposal.
Thus far, the Transport Ministry and the Northern Corridor Implementation Agency (NCIA), on behalf of the Kedah state government, are assessing the Kulim venture. As of late January, the Economic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister’s Department is still evaluating the Kulim airport proposal, which Mukhriz’ government submitted on September.
In recent weeks both Lim and Mukhriz have renewed calls for their proposed projects, making it come off as an either-or proposition. Either Penang’s RM600 million expansion, or Kedah’s RM1.6 billion new airport.
Mukhriz Mahathir
After all, the proposed spot in Sungai Petani (so, not actually located in Kulim) is an hour from Penang state lines and one-and-a-half hours’ drive from Bayan Lepas, which passengers gamely make.
Even Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) members are torn over Mukhriz’ baby – the state’s opposition leader Jahara Hamid said the Kulim airport wasn’t a threat while Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow joined chief minister Lim in asking the federal government to focus on upgrading the busy Penang airport.
With both state governments jousting for monies, Mukhriz in January said the Kedah state government is “not totally dependent” on federal funding to develop the airport, and is currently evaluating “other approaches to finance the project”.
He seems determined. Talk to any Kedah councillor and KXP would seem like a done deal, what with investors seemingly streaming into nearby Kulim Hi-Tech Park on the assumption that KXP and its neighbouring Aerocity would come to fruition.
Last Friday, Mukhriz’ baby squealed again, as local developer Bina Darulaman Bhd (BDB) told reporters it would bid for the airport project if it went ahead. BDB had been involved in constructing Kedah’s two existing airports – the domestic Sultan Abdul Halim Airport in Alor Setar and Langkawi International Airport.
Yes. Kedah, a state of just over two million people and 9,500 sq km, is aspiring to be the only state in Malaysia with TWO international airports. It is this “international” designation that has Penang lawmakers running scared.
Teng remarked that authorities could very well disallow flights between both Penang and Kulim airport as they were so close together.
On the other paw, what gives Mukhriz guts to think he can pull this off? Having served as deputy international trade and industry minister for four years, he should see very well that Kedah really has no economic feet to stand on for another international airport.
Not when Penang, Sarawak, Selangor and Johor keep outstripping his state in investments and passengers with their single international airports (and in Penang and Johor’s cases, single airport).
Here’s a comparison on how much investments and passengers each state brings in currently with international airports noted.
If Mukhriz of 2013, in his capacity as then deputy international trade and industry minister, had heard of this proposal – not to mention the fact that Subang airport is the current MRO centre of Asean, and in fact commands 90% of Malaysia’s MRO infrastructure – would he have shaken his head in disbelief?
No, it’s more likely he would have slammed it into the nearest wall in sheer frustration at the waste of more than a billion ringgit.
Which is what a certain Tiger just might do. You know, if this proposal goes through.
GRRRRR!!!
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