IPOH, Apr 8 — A steering committee has been set up by the Perak state government to look into the expansion of the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (SAS) here.
State executive councillor Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said the committee, formed two weeks ago, was headed by him and he was assisted by his colleagues, Paul Yong and Tan Kar Hing.
The Investment, Industry and Regional Development Committee chairman said representatives from Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad, Department of Civil Aviation and Transport Ministry also sit in the committee.
Commenting on a statement by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu that he was not informed of the expansion project before the announcement was made, Nizar said he was asked by the state government to lead the committee.
“I was speaking in that context (as the committee chairman) and there was no question of me overstepping the boundaries,” he said, adding that it was the state’s idea to expand the airport.
Ahmad Faizal was previously reported as saying excos should either inform him or raise the matter during exco meetings before issuing public statements.
His comment came after Nizar said Perak government would expand the SAS airport before its term expires.
On the National Rocket and Aerospace Innovation Centre, Nizar said the matter was not discussed during the exco meeting yet.
“In the meantime, it remains as an announcement. The Perak State Development Corporation (PKNP) signed an agreement with an agency which expressed interest to invest in Manjung,” he said, adding the land for the project belongs to PKNP.
Asked when the project would start, Nizar said he was not in the know.
“They are doing feasibility studies now. They chose Manjung as the land belongs to PKNP. Whether it is feasible or not as aerospace centre I would not know,” he added.
It was reported in the media that PKNP, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Perak 4.0 Industry Sdn Bhd (Perak 4.0), would collaborate with Lestari Advanced Technology Sdn Bhd (LATSB) to develop the National Rocket and Aerospace Innovation Centre.
Perak 4.0 chief executive officer and director Mohd Ariff Yeop Ishak said through the collaboration, LATSB will develop the innovation centre on a piece of 30.9 hectare industrial land owned by PKNP in Tanjung Batu, Manjung in Perak.
The project is set to become the country’s first local rocket and propulsion technology centre in the defence industry.
