Spell out plans for airport to justify funding demand, Gerakan tells Penang GEORGE TOWN, June 20 — Penang must detail how it plans to develop the state’s international airport to back up its demands for funds to expand the terminal, the local chapter of Gerakan said today. Penang Gerakan chief Teng Chang Yeow accused the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government of attacking plans to build an airport in neighbouring Kedah to mask its own failure to plan for the development of Penang International Airport (PIA). “The state government clearly does not have a plan for the airport and they are trying to cover up their weaknesses by accusing Putrajaya of vindicating Penang if it decides to build an international airport in Kulim and refuse to expand the PIA,” Teng said in a press conference at the Gerakan headquarters here this morning. Teng was responding to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s demands that Putrajaya allocate RM600,000 to upgrade the PIA before it considers building a new RM2 billion international airport in Kulim, Kedah. He reminded Lim that the proposed international airport in Kulim was still in the proposal stages and far from being approved by the authority. “As for the upgrading of the PIA, the state exco for public works Lim Hock Seng reportedly said that the state government is still pursuing the matter with the federal government to expand the runway through reclamation,” Teng said. On Wednesday, Lim sought for Putrajaya to fund an expansion of PIA that includes two runways, an air cargo facility and a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hub. Teng pointed out that these two different statements from Guan Eng and Hock Seng on what the state wants for the airport expansion is indicative of the state’s lack of a long-term plan for PIA. “The state government must show that they understand the issue at hand and if they can’t clarify or justify their request due to poor or lack of planning, they shouldn’t blame the federal government for being vindictive if their request was rejected,” the Penang Barisan Nasional chief said. “Their request for two runways, an air cargo facility and a MRO hub could become a white elephant if they do not plan it properly,” he warned. He said PIA passenger traffic is only 10 per cent that of the Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok airports that have two runways. “Heathrow Airport is also running on two runways and it is the busiest airport in Europe, but Penang is only seeing about five million passengers per annum as opposed to 50 million passengers in those airports with two runways,” Teng said. He then pointed out that the air cargo movement for PIA has also fallen sharply from 225,992 tonnes per year in 2006 to 153,703 tonnes per year in 2013. “How could this justify a second runway?” he demanded to know. He then rebutted the state claim of investments from US company IHS and Wilmar International among others to justify a need for two runways by pointing out that these companies do not require great logistic needs. “Wilmar is only setting up a global finance and accounting centre in Penang, while IHS is an information provider, so these investments do not require air freight or cargo,” he pointed out. Source: themalaymailonline/malaysia/article/spell-out-plans-for-airport-to-justify-funding-demand-gerakan-tells-penang ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 槟机场空运吞吐量下滑四成 邓章耀：建第二跑道不合理 槟州民政党主席邓章耀披露，槟城国际机场的空运吞吐量已从2006年的22万吨下滑40％至2013年的15万吨，因此槟首长林冠英提出建造第二跑道的诉求站不住脚。 “空运量跌到如此地步，要如何以这个数据合理化建造第二跑道的需求？” 他说，一旦缺乏周详的计划，林冠英提出提升机场至两条跑道、拥有综合空运设施和一个航空维修、修理及检查（MRO）中心的建议，恐怕沦为大白象工程。 “别忘了，我们的乘客量只是香港、新加坡和曼谷机场的10%。它们跟全球最繁忙机场之一的伦敦希斯路机场一样只有两个跑道。” 吉打新机场属初步建议 邓章耀接着批评，民联州政府完全没有一套发展槟城国际机场的长远计划，并为了掩饰弱点而政治化课题。 “他们通过文告制造假象说，中央惩罚槟城人而拒绝提升槟城机场，却耗资20亿令吉在居林建造新机场。” “吉打的新国际机场只是一个初步建议，连技术探讨都没有，更甭论已经批准了。” 他今天在槟城民政总部召开记者会，如此表示。陪同者包括州秘书胡栋强、宣传主任张瀚中和州委陈嘉亮。 称中央惩罚槟民不道德 邓章耀表示，掌管公共工程事务的槟行政议员林峰城在6月16日的文告指，还在等中央政府批准槟城国际机场的提升计划，有关计划其实是前朝所制定。 “在这个情况下，民联政府不应该无中生有及挑衅民众情绪说，中央要惩罚槟州人民。这是不道德的。” “槟首长隔天的文告也跟林峰城的说法有出入。根据林峰城的言论，我们可以看出他并不知道首长提出的第二跑道计划。由此可见，槟州政府根本没有长远发展机场的蓝图构思。” “如果中央批准前朝制定的计划，他们会第一时间邀功。当他们本身没有计划时，却归咎中央。” 提及公司均没物流需求 邓章耀继表示，槟政府早前列出数间到槟城投资的外国公司来合理化槟城需要第二跑道，事实上却误导民众及未呈现实况来掩盖弱点。 “首长在文告中提到几家外国公司，如全球食品公司Wilmar和美资IHS资讯咨询公司等，作为槟城需要第二跑道的条件。给槟城人民一个假象，以为有物流设备的需求。” “事实上，根据Wilmar总裁去年9月6日给新加坡交易所的报告，该家新加坡挂牌公司在槟城大约有200名员工，涉及的业务只是财务营运，跟机场毫无关系。况且，除非发生灾难，否则全球均使用船只运载食油。” “IHS则是一家咨询公司，他们都不需要空运服务来载送货物商品。” 因此，他奉劝，槟政府先深入了解和探讨空运和乘客的流量，才能说服中央批准提升机场的设备。否则，别怪中央不批准和政治化课题。 交由现任政府跟进计划 被询及会否跟进前朝制定的计划，他说，如今已不是民政党执政，因此应由现任政府去跟进。 “事实上，他们有（跟进）。但既然没有自定的蓝图，就干脆承认，不要提出一些误导性的数据和说法。” 他说，槟城机场要扩建现有的跑道，不是建造第二跑道。当年，前朝更建议迁移其中一个空运中心至更适当的位置。 “我们更已表达了在机场附近征地的意愿。” Source: malaysiakini/news/266298
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 01:40:02 +0000
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