IPOH, May 30 — The Perak government said it could continue the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration’s plans of building a new international airport in the state.

State investment and corridor development exco Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin told Malay Mail that a new airport was a good idea, adding that the current administration should “amplify” the proposal.

The airport plan was originally mooted by previous mentri besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir, and later became a highlight of BN’s manifesto in GE14 — which the coalition ended up losing, both at the state and federal levels.

Nizar said an international airport would be “one of the biggest factors” to attract more investment to the state, but noted that there were some adjustments that could be made to the previous administration’s plans.

He pointed out that there was no reason to allocate a 10,000-hectare site for the airport, as 1,000 hectares would be sufficient for an international facility.

“With a smaller plot, it becomes much easier to identify pieces of land throughout the state because we are not limited by size,” Nizar told Malay Mail in a recent interview.

If the project were to continue, Nizar said that it could possibly be moved from the area of Seri Iskandar.

“An airport in Seri Iskandar must be complemented by a highway or railway line. At the moment, the existing roads to Seri Iskandar will not be enough,” he said.

Nizar noted that a new airport project would be linked to the federal government, as all budgetary allocations are set by Putrajaya.

With that in mind, he said the state would have to justify the airport project.

In 2008, Nizar’s then-Pakatan Rakyat administration planned to build a low-cost carrier terminal in Behrang, after discussions were held with AirAsia Group’s chief executive Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

The project, Nizar said, would have seen AirAsia setting up a hub surrounded by mixed development in Perak.

According to the former mentri besar, however, the plan fizzled out when the PR government fell after just 11 months. The plan, he said, was not continued by BN.

Nizar said there is still a chance of reconsidering the Behrang location, even though the opportunity of creating an AirAsia hub may have passed.

“I know the land we set aside for the project was suitable. It’s also close to the North-South Expressway and railway line,” Nizar said.

“But if there remains any interest from AirAsia at all, we must expand so they can enjoy the infrastructural benefits.”

“It is not the same scenario anymore, but it’s worth trying. There is nothing to lose,” he added.