THE idea of building a new Penang airport in Seberang Prai is irrational, according to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, adding that the first he knew of the story was reading it in the newspaper.

“Whether it is true or false I don’t know, but it seems a lot of people want to build airports, ports and want to do all sort of things,” he said after attending a housing programme in Malacca today.

“If we want to build airports, we will be a nation of airports.”

The Star today reported that two companies had proposed building a new airport at two locations in south Seberang Prai, Penang.

It said one firm had submitted its plan for an airport to Putrajaya, while the other would soon do the same.

One of the company’s proposed acquiring thousands of hectares of rice fields for “North Malaysia International Airport”, while the other wished to name its facility the “Northern Region International Airport”.

Earlier today Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng led the chorus of denials over the proposal.

Lim Guan Eng said that the Finance and Transport ministries, along with the state governments of Penang and Kedah had received no such communication over the proposed development.

“To date, The Star report has only sowed confusion among the communications and transport industry because they (the paper) failed to disclose who had attended the briefing or accepted the recommendations,” he said in a statement today.

“So far, Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir have told me that they know nothing about the two so-called new airport proposals,” he said.

Lim said funds were secured in Budget 2019 to expand Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas, but nothing else.

Earlier today, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and the Transport Ministry said they were unaware of the proposals.

Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB), when contacted by The Malaysian Insight, said that all proposals for airport developments were channelled to the government. – June 10, 2019.