Source: Facebook

The Chief Minister of Penang has welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the 2023 Budget that the Penang International Airport expansion project will be implemented. The Chief Minister expressed his hopes that with the expansion of the airport, it can cater to around 20 million passengers annually.

The airport expansion project is expected to boost the socio-economic development of the Northern Corridor states, as well as Penang’s tourism and industry. The Chief Minister assured that the Penang government will provide full support to the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) in the implementation of this project. He also expressed his hopes that the project can commence this year and be completed within three years.

In addition to the airport expansion project, Penang also welcomes the RM50mil allocation to help George Town and Melaka in heritage conservation works. The state government will collaborate with the relevant ministry to finalise the best projects and programs to be implemented in George Town. It is noteworthy that the last allocation provided to Penang by the Federal Government for heritage work was when George Town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Chief Minister acknowledged that the Federal Government has shown its concern for Penang, which has long been neglected. He appreciated the Finance Minister’s good gesture towards Penang, and noted that there are still many infrastructure projects that need to be implemented to help the state overcome its development constraints. The state government will continue to work with the various ministries to obtain approvals for their applications.