Kedah clears first hurdle for proposed Kulim International Airport

ALOR SETAR: Kedah cleared its first hurdle for the construction of the Kulim International Airport (KXP) when the government approved the proposed project at the National Physical Planning Council (NPPC) meeting yesterday.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the approval is among the official procedures for large-scale national projects that required debate in the NPPC chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“Yesterday, the KXP construction was officially approved for the first time since its proposal in 2014 and the Transport Ministry has promised to speed up the National Airport Strategic Plan (NASP) study on KXP.

“The ministry will also work on how to implement the KXP in line with the NASP study,” Muhammad Sanusi told reporters after chairing the state Exco meeting here today.

He said the state government during the debate also provided additional details to support the KXP proposal, in that a private company was keen to develop its land alongside the KXP construction project.

“The private company which owns 6,000 acres (2,428 ha) in the KXP project location has applied to develop the land in conjunction with the KXP to open up a new industrial zone.

“It plans to set up a semiconductor industrial hub to activise and enliven the KXP’s capacity utilisation. This is a new thing that was discussed at the NPPC meeting yesterday,” he added.

Muhammad Sanusi said after the NPPC, which is under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the proposal will be brought to the Cabinet.

-- BERNAMA