Menteri besar Saarani Mohamad said the state government was unable to do anything about the land as the sale was made legally by the landowner, the Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP), to the private company.

“As I’ve said before, we had planned to use the land to build the airport. However, there is no plan now as the sale has gone through. So, it’s up to the private company to decide what to do (with the land),” he said at an event here today.

Saarani was asked to comment on Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia vice-president Hamidah Osman’s claim that the Perak government could still save the land for the airport from being sold to a private company.

“There’s a need to retain the land for airport construction as there is a caveat (on the property) in the name of the company that purchased the land while the state authorities hold the power to retain the land based on the set restrictions,” she said.