As such, Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) mayor Rozali Mohamud said it was removing the rail link plan from the draft version of the 2030 town planning blueprint for Seberang Perai, which was posted on Facebook for public feedback yesterday.

He said the council had merely laid out future land use plans for the next 10 years in its development plan.

The proposed plan shows Butterworth connected to the future Kulim airport, with stops in Bukit Mertajam and Machang Bubok.

The plan had set Penangites’ tongues wagging as such a rail link might relegate the status of the international airport at Bayan Lepas on Penang island to a domestic airport.

The Penang international airport was the busiest airport in the country after the airports in the Klang Valley before the pandemic.

The 2030 local plan for Seberang Perai is now open for public feedback until July 9.

Once approved for implementation, the plan stipulates that all future development strictly follow zoning and density requirements, with land set aside for future public transport projects.

The plan, however, must be approved by the Penang state executive council first.

Rozali said the Butterworth-Machang Bubok rail link was displayed so as to mark future development in the blueprint.

This was necessary to prime Penang Sentral’s status as the northern region’s key transport hub in Butterworth.

“However, we have no jurisdiction to dictate development or propose new rail links in the area under the Kulim Municipal Council (under Kedah).

“I will now order any remarks related to development in other areas to be removed from the draft 2030 Seberang Perai local plan immediately,” he said in an emailed response to FMT.

Rozali said the four Bus Rapid Transit lines included in the Seberang Perai local plan, with a line offering a direct transfer to the future Kulim airport from Butterworth, would stay but reference to the Kulim municipality would be removed.