18 February 2019

Press statement by MCA Vice President Datuk Tan Teik Cheng

Keep Penang International Airport as one of the main international airports in the Northern Peninsular

Penang as a state without natural resources depends heavily on its international airport to facilitate its electronic, tourism and services industries, and maintain its position as the commercial and logistics hub in the Northern Peninsular. Therefore the state government must pressure the Federal government into maintaining the Penang International Airport (PIA) as one of the main international airports in the North.

MCA does not oppose to the construction of a new airport in Kulim, Kedah but the new entity should consider on concentrating on handling cargos and domestic passengers only.  

Furthermore, Kedah already has two airports now, at Pulau Langkawi and Alor Setar, respectively. A new passenger airport in Kulim, which is less than 60km away from Penang, will certainly raise doubts over its economic viability.

Why does the Federal government refuse to upgrade the Langkawi and Alor Setar Airports, but want to spend plenty to construct the third airport for Kedah in Kulim, at a time when the Pakatan Harapan government itself had been going around town saying that we are facing  financial problems? 

The fact that Penang possesses advantage in terms of geographical environment, and it is the engine for the economic growth in the North, is undeniable.

Its government must therefore endeavour to maintain PIA’s status as the only international airport in the North, to ensure that the new airport in Kulim, when completed, will complement rather than compete with each other and negatively impact the livelihoods of Penangites.

PIA now is very congested. Its total passengers of 7.78 million in 2018 had exceeded its capacity of 6.50 million. This proves PIA’s significance, and that its capacity and facility must be duly upgraded and expanded.

We urge the federal, Penang and Kedah governments to sit down and discuss as the proposed new Kulim Airport will certainly affect the development of PIA, and the status and development of Penang as the Northern economic and logistics hub.

The Federal and Penang governments must take immediate measures to upgrade and expand PIA to ensure it can better unleash its potential, and bring more economic benefits to the nation. The Ministry of Transport especially, must play an important role in it, including making available a better connectivity between PIA and Kulim Airport, so that Penang can continue to be the engine of economic growth.

Datuk Tan Teik Cheng
MCA Vice President
MCA Penang State Liaison Committee Chairman

-MCA Online-