Resubmit proposal for Kulim airport, Anwar tells Kedah MB

The finance minister also reveals that tycoon Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary has backed out of the project due to its expected cost of RM7 billion.

KUALA LUMPUR: Kedah has been told to resubmit its plans to build a new airport in Kulim for Putrajaya’s approval after a tycoon had reportedly backed out of the project.

Finance minister Anwar Ibrahim said Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor had recently written to him to consider the construction of a new airport.

Anwar said the proposal to build the new airport was mooted by a company belonging to Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary. The company was also supposed to manage the airport.

However, Anwar said, Syed Mokhtar contacted him to say that he was not ready to proceed with the project.

“He said while there was indeed a proposal, he was not able to finance the RM7 billion project,” Anwar said in the Dewan Rakyat.

Anwar said that the project could not be approved on a whim as it had to be reviewed by government agencies at the federal level.

He also dismissed accusations that he was “cruel” in axing the Kulim airport project, adding that it was the developer, ECK Development Sdn Bhd, who had dropped the project after being urged to do so by the Kedah government.

“So how is it that the government is cruel?”

Anwar said that Sanusi could resubmit the proposal and the government would review it.

“If it’s reasonable, I believe the transport minister will consider it,” he said, referring to Loke Siew Fook.

Loke recently said the government never pulled the plug on the Kulim airport, as there was no formal application to date.

Earlier today, Sanusi said there was a formal application and that the transport ministry under Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration had approved the construction of the Kulim airport on Aug 21, 2020.