Walk the talk, approve Penang airport expansion, Sim tells BN

 

BN should walk the talk that it isn't suppressing Penang's development by approving the expansion of the state's international airport, said Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim.

Sim (above), who is also the DAP national organising secretary, said Penang Island City Council approved the expansion plan in Dec 2019 but could not get federal approval following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020.

"In February 2020, after the Sheraton Move, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong under the PN-BN government froze the project.

"Even after Umno-BN took over the federal government in August 2021, the Penang International Airport expansion was still frozen and to date, has yet been revived," Sim said in a statement.

BN advisory board chairperson Najib Abdul Razak, during a visit to Penang, had said that it was not BN that had suppressed development in Penang.

Instead, Najib said the DAP-led Penang should ask former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who he referred to as "Abah".

Muhyiddin was sworn in as the new prime minister in March 2020 following the collapse of the Harapan government but was ousted by a group of Umno MPs in August 2021, paving the way for Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob to take over the premiership.

Sim said if BN was genuine about Penang's development, it should now approve the airport's expansion.

"If Umno and BN genuinely do not intend to stop the Penang International Airport's expansion, then the prime minister from Umno and the transport minister from BN should immediately revive the project," he said. - Mkini