Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 3.8.2017.
The Penang state government welcomes the assurances by Finance Minister 2 Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani a few days ago, that the Federal government will look at how to expand the Penang International Airport(PIA). We agree with Johari that the PIA has exceeded its present capacity of 6.5 million passengers, with 6.7 million passengers recorded in 2016, four years ahead of the scheduled 2020.
For the first 5 months of 2017, passenger movements grew by 8.7 % and is expected to exceed 7 million passengers by end 2017. For this reason, the Penang state government proposes that the PIA be doubled in size with a capacity that exceeds 13 million passengers, to take into account the strong growth rate driven by high tourist numbers. Failure to do so will make PIA heavily congested until PIA may be known as Penang International Pasar Malam instead.
Penang has always been a favoured tourist destination for its famous street food and durians. The inscription of George Town as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008 has helped put Penang on the world map. New tourism products in the heritage enclave, a RM200 million rebranding of Komtar, the completion of the RM350 million SPICE Exhibition Centre, the enhancement of Bukit Bendera and Batu Ferringhi as ecological green belts have also provided more choice and options.
Penang has also strengthened its position in medical tourism by seeking to become a medical city. Amongst new hospitals coming up, the biggest is Island Hospital group. Island Hospital group is investing RM2 billion to build a 1,000 bed private hospital, the largest private hospital in Malaysia. Penang is also emerging as a centre of art, culture and heritage with 15 private art galleries and museums. There are also world class cultural performances and events such as George Town Festival and Literary Festival.
With 24,000 rooms and more hotels being built, failure to expand the international airport to cater to the influx of tourists, would be a major economic blunder that is unforgivable to us and our future generation. For the sake of not just Penang but also the national interest, the Penang state government is willing to co-operate with the Federal government to make the expansion of the airport a reality.
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin—
槟州首席部长林冠英于2017年8月3日在乔治市光大发表文告：
2016年，槟城国际机场的乘客量为670万，而2017年的首5个月，已录得8.7%的成长，在此趋势之下，乘客负荷量只有650万的槟机场应该获得扩建，至少将负荷量扩增至目前的一倍，即1300万。
第二财长拿督斯里佐哈里在几天前保证，联邦政府将会研究如何扩建槟城国际机场。对于这个好消息，槟州政府深表欢迎。我们认同佐哈里的说法，即槟城国际机场已超越其650万乘客的负荷量，比预期在2020年达到饱和足足快了4年。单是2016年，槟机场乘客量已录得670万人。
2017年的首5个月，乘客量节节上升，同比增加了8.7%，预计年底将达到700万。在考虑到旅客人数强劲增长之下，槟州政府提议扩建槟城国际机场，将目前的乘客负荷量提升一倍至1300万乘客。若无法进行扩建，槟城国际机场将进一步拥堵，最后变成槟城国际夜市。
槟城一直是游客的心头所好，这里的街头美食以及榴梿更是遐迩闻名。2008年，乔治市名列联合国教科文组织的世界遗产城，更是进一步地让槟城被世界所看见。槟城的旅游产品也不断在推陈出新，诸如投资2亿令吉重塑品牌的光大、3亿5000万令吉的国际会展中心，而提升后的升旗山及峇都丁宜，亦提供了游客一个绿色旅游的好地方。
槟城也积极巩固医药旅游业的地位，并朝医药城的目标迈进。在各个即将出现的新医院当中，最大者为槟榔医院集团，后者投资20亿令吉，打造一个具有1000床位的私人医院，有关医院也是马来西亚最大的私人医院。另一方面，槟城已崛起成为艺术、文化及古迹的中心点，这里座拥超过15家私人画廊及博物馆等。同时，槟城也拥有世界级的文化飨宴诸如乔治市艺术节及文学节。
槟城共拥有2万4000间房间，随着更多新酒店的矗立，但我们的机场却无法扩建以容纳更多的游客，这将是一个重大的经济失误，无法被我们及下一世代所原谅。为了全马而不仅仅是槟城的利益，槟州政府愿意和联邦政府携手合作，以便促成扩建机场的大计。
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LIM GUAN ENG 林冠英