Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the government would give its full cooperation by extending all the resources required by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to implement the Penang International Airport (PIA) expansion project.

He said he had asked all state government agencies, especially the district and land office, to facilitate the project implementation.

“Actually, MAHB has been making early preparations since 2018 and it has been granted planning consent.

“With this announcement in Budget 2023, the state government will give input and cooperate in implementing the project.

“I have also asked the government agencies involved to help in project facility works, including on land acquisition matters.

“This will also involve relocation of the government quarters, traffic control tower and a Chinese national primary school near there,” Bernama quoted him as saying after an official event here today.

When tabling Budget 2023 yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that PIA and the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (LTSAAS) in Subang, Selangor, would be expanded but construction on the new Kulim airport in Kedah would be stopped.

Chow, who is Batu Kawan MP, said the state government would also bid for several infrastructure projects not listed under Budget 2023, for implementation under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) rolling plan which runs until the end of this year.

He said state government departments had been asked to do follow-up checks with the ministers concerned for these projects to be listed in next year’s budget.