THE MACALLUM working-class neighbourhood – which sits on one of the earliest reclaimed parcels in Penang – has been proposed as the first station on the island for the RM10.5 billion Mutiara Light Rail Transit (LRT) system.
Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Corp chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim said the link would begin from Penang Sentral – the northern region transport dispersal hub in Butterworth and alongside the Penang Bridge on its own link across the Penang Channel to Macallum, which is off Weld Quay.
This will signal the emergence of Macallum as an important location for the LRT.
There are about 15 stations en route to the final stop, which is the mega reclamation project of Silicon Island, stopping short of a link to the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas.
Notably missing is the link to the affluent neighbourhood of Tanjung Bungah.
From Macallum, it will pass through Komtar, Jalan Gurdwara, Solok Sg Pinang, Sg Pinang, Jelutong Timur, all the way to Silicon Island in Batu Maung.
Two proposed stations – Bandar Sri Pinang and Sky Cab – along Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, which were in the original design, have since been deleted.
Zarif told a briefing attended by PKR leaders (Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, Batu Uban assemblyman A. Kumaseran and Kebun Bunga assemblyman Lee Boon Heng) that the main alignment route and stations remained intact despite earlier reservations.
Civil societies here pointed out that the alignment misses the main working-class areas and high-density localities such as Air Itam, Paya Terubong, Bayan Baru and Island Glades as well as Pulau Tikus and Tanjong Tokong.
“Everything would be carried out on time and there is no need for the resubmission of the environmental impact assessment (EIA),” stressed Zarif.
“The slight amendment to the track is meant to accommodate the line extended to Penang Sentral on the mainland from Penang island via an elevated track above the sea.
“Once we have updated the data on the LRT alignment, we will need to engage all the relevant agencies through workshops.
“The amended alignment, once finalised, will then be provided as an addendum meant for the necessary approval,” said Zarif.
The LRT is touted as the biggest ever infrastructure project for Penang, dubbed the “Silicon Valley of the East”, due to its growing importance in the global supply chain for electronics and electrical components.
On March 29, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the federal government officially took over the Penang LRT Mutiara Line project from the state government, with MRT appointed as the developer and asset owner.
The procurement of the project is divided into three main components, which are civil construction works for Segment 1, which is the alignment of Silicon Island to Komtar; works for civil construction for Segment 2, which is the line from Komtar to Penang Sentral; and a “turnkey contract” for system and carriage (coach) works. – The Vibes, May 5, 2024.
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