KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — The delay of development projects in Kedah is not a result of the federal government’s actions, but rather issues within the state government itself, according to Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
In a post on platform X today, Rafizi clarified that the Kedah government had previously requested a loan from the federal government for the fifth phase of the Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP) development.
He revealed that the federal government, through his ministry, approved a loan of RM195 million to fund the project.
However, Rafizi explained that the project had been unable to proceed because of land-related problems that arose after the loan was approved.
He said that the land presented during the loan application was problematic, preventing the purchase from going ahead.
Addressing accusations during a recent Kedah State Legislative Assembly session that he had deliberately harmed the people of Kedah by not approving the project, Rafizi denied the claims.
“The real issue is that without land, the project cannot continue.
“Federal government allocations require land ownership issues to be settled before funding can be approved.
“Kedah now claims to have identified new land for purchase and demands that the Ministry of Economy approve the RM195 million allocation, despite the ownership issues still being unresolved,” he said on X.
Rafizi then went on to say that there have been previous instances where projects were delayed due to similar land issues, despite funds being allocated.
He also noted that the federal government had to borrow funds for the loan and is required to pay interest on it.
He voiced concern that continued delays in the project would result in the people of Malaysia bearing the cost.
“The people of Malaysia will end up paying the interest on this loan for as long as Kedah fails to complete the project,” he cautioned.
Rafizi also criticised the Kedah government’s apparent habit of distancing itself from responsibility when projects fail.
“When projects fail, they claim to be just the messengers or insist that it’s a private project, not their responsibility.”
“Next time, before using my name for TikTok content, check the facts of the issue first,” he added.