CONSTRUCTION works for the Penang LRT project cannot be halted during the Chinese New Year celebration in February and Hari Raya Aidilfitri in March due to the tight project schedule required to meet the targeted completion date of December 2031.
State Transport and Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari (PH–Tanjong Bunga) said this in response to an oral question from Lim Guan Eng (PH–Air Putih), who had asked whether construction work scheduled for January 2026 could be postponed until after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
“Any delay in meeting this target would trigger penalty clauses as stipulated in the contract. Nevertheless, the implementation of the Traffic Management Plan (TMP) during festive seasons will be arranged so as not to affect traffic flow and to ensure the safety of road users amid the expected increase in traffic during these periods,” Zairil said, speaking on behalf of Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow during the State Legislative Assembly sitting today.
Lim also asked about the estimated cost of the project and the areas expected to worsen in terms of traffic congestion during the construction period.
Responding to this, Zairil said the state government had been informed by the Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation (MRTC), appointed by the Federal Government as the developer and asset owner of the Penang LRT project, that the Cabinet had, in December 2024, approved a budget ceiling of RM16.8 billion for the project.
He added that construction works had officially commenced after the main civil contractor for Package 1 (CMC1), SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd, received the Notice to Proceed (NTP) on 15 July 2025.
“The CMC1 contractor has identified three hotspot locations that will be more significantly affected by the LRT construction works, namely Jalan Magazine, the junction in front of Sunny Point in Batu Uban, and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (FIZ),” Zairil said.
He noted that MRTC will implement mitigation measures to minimise the impact on existing traffic, ensure smooth vehicle movement, and improve traffic flow efficiency in key areas throughout the construction of the Mutiara Line LRT.
“MRTC will also provide alternative routes and traffic diversions, which will be managed as part of the approved TMP. The TMP will be reviewed and enhanced monthly for improved planning,” he said.
Zairil advised road users to regularly refer to the Mutiara Line project website and the Penang Mutiara LRT social media platforms for TMP updates and the latest traffic announcements, as well as to check navigation applications such as Waze for real-time traffic information to plan their journeys.
He added that he would also convene a meeting with state assemblymen to brief them on the traffic arrangements.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alissala Thian