ALOR SETAR, Aug 23 — A technical committee has been set up to expedite the construction of the Kulim International Airport (KXP) project, said Kedah Mentri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

He said the committee, which was formed during a meeting with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong in Putrajaya, last Friday comprise the state government, Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) and Ministry of Transport (MOT).

"This technical committee will make a recommendation for this working paper (regarding approval for the KXP project) to be presented again to the MPFN (National Physical Planning Council Meeting),” he told reporters at Wisma Darul Aman here, today.

He said following feedback from MPFN, MOT would then produce a proposal to be tabled in the Cabinet for approval before they could proceed with the project.

He told reporters this after receiving food donations worth RM30,000 from Yayasan Petronas for the benefit of 300 families from the B40 group affected by the enforcement of the Targeted enhanced movement control order (TEMCO) in Kedah.

Muhammad Sanusi said all proposals must be approved by the MPFN before they were brought to the Cabinet, however in the last MPFN meeting, the proposal paper for the KXP project could not be tabled because MOT had not finalised the National Airport Strategic Plan (NASP) study.

A finalised NASP study is a prerequisite of any proposal for the construction of new airports to be considered.

The NASP study covers the development of all airports, as well as Short Take-Off Landing Airport (STOLport) in the country, to oversee their roles, airspace requirements as well as economic and strategic impact. — Bernama