Mersing may get airport for light aircraft

KOTA ISKANDAR: The East Coast Economic Region (ECER) is planning to build an airport in Mersing.

State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism executive committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said this in his windingup speech at the state assembly sitting.

“I was told the airport is only for light aircraft. However, it is still at the study stage,” he said.

Earlier, it was reported that ECER will develop two tourism projects in Mersing, the Dairy Valley in Jemaluang to produce four million litres of fresh milk by 2021 and the Mersing Homestay Tourism Development in Kampung Air Papan.

Tee said Johor will have seven international grade hotels by 2019, and it will add another 2,008 rooms in the market.

As of February, Johor has 97 hotels of various grades with 10,791 rooms available.

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry exco Ismail Mohamed said only seven out of 47 pig farms in Johor were accredited the Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices (MyGAP) status.

He said 10 pig farms have gone through the transformation process, from open space farming to a closed structure farming which will reduce the foul smell and water pollution, but only seven have been accredited MyGAP status.

“The state government has yet to approve the Modern Pig Farm plan,” he said.

He estimated 20 traditional pig farms with production of 18,563 tons of pork annually will be closed if the plan takes effect in the future.