THE Penang government warmly received the announcement by Transport Minister Anthony Loke regarding the Cabinet’s approval of the Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) project.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow stressed that while this marks a significant milestone, there are additional technical tasks that must be completed before commencing physical construction.
“We anticipate a few more months before finalising the details and initiating physical construction.
“However, we are pleased with the positive progress of this project,” Chow told reporters when questioned about the matter today.
In his statement today, Loke disclosed that the Federal Government has greenlit the Penang LRT project, appointing MRT Corp as its developer and asset owner, with a target completion date of 2030.
He detailed the project’s contracts, divided into three main segments: the Silicon Island to Komtar contract (Segment 1), the Komtar to Penang Sentral contract (Segment 2), and the turn-key systems and rolling stocks contract.
Loke specified that SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd has been selected for the Segment 1 contract through the Single-Sourcing Request for Proposal mechanism.
Meanwhile, the remaining contracts will undergo an open tender process.
Additionally, Loke confirmed that construction of Penang’s inaugural LRT project is set to commence by the fourth quarter of this year.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis