Mutiara LRT Line: Govt Gives Serious Attention To Residents' Concerns - Anwar

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- The federal government is paying serious attention to the concerns of Penang residents regarding part of the Sungai Nibong pesta site being taken over to build a depot for the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who gave the assurance, said he had asked Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow to hold discussions with all parties involved to make some adjustments to save part of the site involved in the project.

"We are taking this view into account and are discussing because Penangites have sentImental values, they are sentimental with nasi kandar, sentimental with the pesta site, (and) if possible, everyone wants to stay as they are.

"But they want the LRT... I think Penangites also need to be well-prepared to bring about change, some adjustments must also be made, however, since this has been raised by many, I ask the Chief Minister to discuss how we can make some adjustments if necessary," said Anwar at the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Penang Mutiara Line LRT Project at Bandar Sri Pinang LRT station site here today.

The ceremony was also attended by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim and Chow.

On Jan 8, Chow announced that there are plans to take over part of the Sungai Nibong pesta site to establish a depot for the Mutiara Line LRT project and it had been presented by MRT Corp as the developer and asset owner to the state government, but it was still at the concept proposal stage.

Meanwhile, Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, hoped that MRT Corp could carry out its duties transparently, cleanly, efficiently and manage well without any leakages, besides ensuring the development of the LRT line safeguards public interests such as housing, basic amenities and fair transfer requirements in terms of land.

He said that in line with the country's need to grow and have modern and advanced technology, there should be attempts to safeguard the special identity of Penang and Malaysia.

"Apart from being efficient and modern but there should be architectural designs to make the Penang line unique.

"So, I hope this is also thought about so that it is not just an LRT like other LRTs anywhere in the world, of course the vehicles are the same, the infrastructure is the same but this is a big challenge that we have to think about," he said.

he Mutiara Line LRT project covers a 29.5 km stretch, comprising 21 stations at strategic locations, including a provisional station on Penang South Reclamation Island-A (PSR-A).

The stretch, which starts from PSR-A, includes two terminus stations, namely Penang Sentral and KOMTAR, with both lines operating in parallel through an alternate schedule, ensuring smoother travel with optimised travel times.

Expected to be operational in 2031, the Mutiara Line LRT will also see the extension of the terminus station from Komtar to Penang Sentral, improving connectivity for residents on both sides of the Penang Strait.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the expansion project of the Penang International Airport (PIA) in Bayan Lepas near here needed to be expedited due to the growing tourist attraction and industrial needs.

Anwar also denied allegations that he was giving more attention to Penang because he is Penangite.

He stressed that as Prime Minister, he would focus on the needs of the people without choosing states, including assistance to rice farmers in Kedah, flood mitigation projects in Kelantan and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

-- BERNAMA