TRONOH, Oct 9 — The Perak state government is just awaiting approval from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Ministry of Finance (MOF) regarding the proposal to build an international airport in Seri Iskandar, near here.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said it was normal for any state to present proposal papers to the government through the related ministries to develop new or existing assets.
“As for the proposal to build a new international airport in Seri Iskandar, it requires the proper attention and consideration for the country’s future aviation landscape.
“We have ‘sold’ the idea to the federal (government). Although we have land, it still depends on the decisions of the MOT and MOF. However, we hope the federal (government) can approve it because there is a need (for it),” he told a media conference after the “Tanya Cikgu Saarani” (Ask Teacher Saarani) Programme here today.
Earlier, state Infrastructure, Energy, Water and Public Transportation Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin was reported to have said in July that the state government and Federal Government had agreed in principle with the proposed construction of an international airport in Seri Iskandar, near Felcra Nasaruddin.
The project is to be built on a 1,618.74-hectare piece of land and the preliminary study of the project had been carried out by United Kingdom-based international infrastructure engineering firm Colebrand International Limited.
Meanwhile, Saarani said it was necessary to build a new airport in Perak as it could help increase the economic spillover in the state.
“The Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LuMic) project is expected to change Perak’s economic landscape in the future and, for the long term, it (the airport construction) is very much needed.
“The Federal (Government) knows the needs of the state government regarding this issue and it had even acknowledged this during our meeting with the MOT, so we now await its decision,” he said.
