Sanusi refutes Loke's statement on Kedah Aerotropolis project

ALOR SETAR - Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has refuted Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s statement that the Kedah government never submitted an application to develop the Kedah Aerotropolis aviation hub project.

Muhammad Sanusi said that since taking over the administration of the state government, he had presented proposals for the project at the National Physical Planning Council (MPFN) meeting in August and October of 2020.

He added that the official applications to the two Prime Ministers previously had also been submitted to be brought to the Cabinet meeting, in addition to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) for scrutiny by the Public and Private Cooperation Unit.

"The Federal government, through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, in a media statement on March 19, 2019 had also announced the approval for the high-impact project, including the Kulim International Airport (KXP).

"The state government’s engagement session with the Transport Ministry, headed by me and Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (the then Transport Minister), was held on Aug 21, 2020 at the Transport Ministry and succeeded in obtaining approval for the project,” he said in a statement today.

At the Dewan Rakyat sitting yesterday, Loke was reported to have denied that the federal government had cancelled the project as Kedah never submitted an application for the project.

Muhammad Sanusi said, so far, two application letters to present proposals for the project to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had been sent but neither had received a reply.

He said the state government was very serious about implementing the project and had spent almost RM30 million to prepare technical studies and all the required documents.

"There is no need for any party, especially the federal government, to have any doubts because this Kedah government project is through a private finance initiative (PFI),” he said.

The Kedah Aerotropolis Project, which was designed to drive the state’s economic transformation, will be developed on a 3,965-hectare area at Mukim Sidam Kiri in the Kuala Muda district covering the construction of KXP as well as supporting industries including Sidam Logistics, Aerospace and Manufacturing Hub. - BERNAMA