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GEORGE TOWN: With the Penang state assembly meeting taking place in about two weeks, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today allayed concerns that his assemblymen may have contracted Covid-19 while campaigning in Sabah.
Chow said there were more than 14 days between the Sabah elections on September 26 and the date of the session on October 12. He said this period was as good as a quarantine period, and elected representatives who had traveled to Sabah were told to stay home for two weeks.
Chow said representatives who went to Sabah tested negative upon their return to Penang.
However, he said he would take further advice from the National Security Council and the Health Ministry on the upcoming assembly and make the necessary adjustments.
Kulim airport
When asked about Kedah’s push for the Kulim airport, he said the fact was that airports would not be built or considered until 2022, when a government study was expected to be completed.
Chow said that he and his Kedah counterpart, Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, had urged the federal government to ensure that the study began with airports in the north, before covering other parts of the country.
He said one of the main concerns raised by Kedah was that land had been acquired for the new Kulim airport through the National Land Code, but that the time limit for the project could expire when Putrajaya completed the study.
“The National Physical Planning Council (MPFN) has yet to approve the Kulim airport. A working paper on the airport submitted by Kedah was withdrawn due to the study.
“I told the MPFN on August 13 that attention should be paid to the airports in the northern region (Penang, Langkawi and Kulim). The expansion of the Penang airport should also be given priority, ”he said.
Investments increase
In another matter, Chow said that Penang had approved RM9.12 billion in manufacturing investments during the first six months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 452%.
1.65 billion ringgit in foreign direct investment (FDI) entered during the second quarter (Q2) of this year. Another RM373 million were domestic investments during this period, he said.
Chow said that Penang continues to rank first as the country’s largest contributor to the country’s FDI in manufacturing. The main investors came from Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, he said.
He said that based on government data, Penang got 29 new projects in Q2, with 6,971 new jobs created. However, Penang’s investment figures in 2020 would be difficult to match with last year’s all-time high of RM16.8 billion.
“I am delighted that Penang has succeeded in attracting investors despite the uncertain global environment. This would not have been possible had it not been for the efforts of the state and federal governments.
“Since the beginning of this year, we have faced an uncertain situation due to the tension between the US and China, in addition to the imposition of controls and policies to address the pandemic outbreak, in particular travel restrictions.
“Penang’s strong track record, positive outlook for select manufacturing sectors, and reconfiguration of the global supply chain put it in a good position to be a preferred destination for high-quality, high-value-added investments.”
