New airport snub behind ouster as Perak adviser too, claims tycoon

(FMT) – A construction tycoon, whose appointment as Perak economic adviser was scuttled by the menteri besar over comments deemed insulting to the sultan, has claimed a further reason for his ouster.

Koon Yew Yin said his removal from the Perak Economic Advisory Council (SEAC) was also due to his objection against a new airport to be built in Seri Iskandar, a township located about 50km southwest of Ipoh.

He said he had suggested that the present Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in Ipoh have its runways upgraded instead to accommodate larger planes. He claimed this was agreed to by the state executive councillors.

However, he believed his objection was seen as a snub to Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu whom he said had wanted the Ipoh airport to be restricted to private jets only once the new airport was built.

He said it all started when he first read the news on Faizal’s plans to build a new airport. He later published a blog post on why the menteri besar should not proceed with the plans.

“I wrote an article to point out that including Najib’s, there were only a handful of private jets (at the Ipoh airport),” he said, referring to former prime minister Najib Razak.

“In view of our nation’s poor financial position, he (Faizal) should not spend so much money to construct a new airport. Instead, he should lengthen the runway for larger planes to land. The cost of lengthening the runway would be comparatively small,” he said in a statement to FMT.

“This was what I wrote that got me into trouble… another reason why I was removed from the state economic advisory council.”

Koon said if Faizal had wanted to build a new airport, the land on which the existing airport stood could be sold for RM1.2 billion and the funds used for the purpose.

He agreed that the present airport is too old and in need of an urgent upgrade to boost tourism. He said selling off the old airport land might do the trick, with the new airport build on state land close to the Lumut port.

“I trust the Perak menteri besar and all the state assemblymen will discuss and consider my suggestion, bearing in mind that benefitting the people is more important than just benefiting a few jet owners.

“I was told that the Perak exco had accepted my suggestion. The existing airport would be lengthened and they would not spend money constructing a new airport.”

Koon had courted controversy after he claimed his appointment as a SEAC member was blocked by the Perak palace due to a blog post in which he said the late Sultan Azlan Shah had offered state titles and honours for money.

However, the Perak palace denied Koon’s claim, saying it had no hand in removing him from the SEAC.

Faizal later said he had personally removed Koon from the council after the tycoon made “very serious” allegations that the late Perak ruler had bestowed state titles through “corrupt practices”.

Koon had said he was fine with the removal.

FMT has contacted the Perak Menteri Besar’s office for comment.