Penang: An obsession with airports, swap deals and land reclamation


You’ve got to wonder whether those thinking of these extravagant ideas have the best interests of northern region residents at heart – or if their minds are clouded with property development, construction activity and ringgit signs.

Anil Netto

Earlier, we had two airport proposals:

  • A new airport on reclaimed island A off southeastern Penang Island
  • A new RM1.6bn northern region airport in Kulim

Now, two more proposals. Take a look at this “exclusive” story in the Star, which floats two ideas to literally test the waters.

  • A new airport on 5,000ha (12,400 acres!) of reclaimed land off southern Penang (plus a 57km monorail)
  • A new airport (650ha) and warehouses (400ha) on paddy land near the border of Penang, Kedah and Perak (that would come up to 2,600 acres). A figure of RM10bn has been floated.

Notice the land swap proposal to build a new airport in exchange for developing the existing site of the Penang Airport, which happens to sit on prime coastal land in the south. The value of the land is reportedly about RM7bn. Imagine what the gross development value is like.

Are the latter two even in the Penang Structure Plan – or is the plan just for show, to be amended and to rubber-stamp what has been decided?

Read more here



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