GEORGE TOWN – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has assured that the federal government will take the takeover of the Tapak Pesta Sg Nibong land – which has been earmarked for the Mutiara Line LRT project – into serious consideration given the sentimental value of the annual fair to locals.
Anwar said that any developments planned for Penang must be modern while also preserving the state’s unique identity.
He also said that he was made aware of the issue regarding Tapak Pesta and is discussing the matter with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow on possibly saving a portion of the land.
“Penangites are very sentimental people when it comes to their nasi kandar and Tapak Pesta. Therefore they would like to preserve all these (places).
“But at the same time, they want the LRT. Since this issue has been raised by many, I have asked (the chief minister) and I am confident that he will agree to discuss how we can make some adjustments (to tje LRT project) if needed to save – if not all – at least a portion of Tapak Pesta.
“I can assure you that this matter will be given due consideration as seriously as possible,” he said in his speech at the launching ceremony of the Mutiara Line LRT project at Bandar Sri Pinang, here.
On Wednesday, it was reported that this year’s Pesta Pulau Pinang is expected to be the final edition held at Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, with plans to relocate the event to a new venue for the next edition.
Chow explained that the move was necessitated by the involvement of part of the festival site in the development of a Mutiara Line Light LRT station here, Bernama reported.
Since its inception in 1966, the Pesta Pulau Pinang has evolved into an annual tourism highlight, becoming a source of pride for Penangites. It has grown to attract not only locals but also a diverse range of domestic and international visitors.
Only a portion of land will be used for LRT station
Meanwhile, Datuk Mohd Zarif Mohd Hashim, the chief executive officer of MRT Corporation (MRT Corp) Sdn Bhd – which owns the LRT project – said that the project would only take a small portion of the 16.9ha Tapak Pesta land to build a LRT depot.
In a press conference, Zarif said that the remaining land will be developed by the state government for a transit-oriented development (TOD) project. He also stressed that complications will arise in the future if the LRT depots are not built concurrently with the TOD project.
“If the depot and the station are already built and the TOD is established later, (the project) would become inefficient (when taking into account) the roads and parameters.
“Therefore to ensure a more efficient TOD development, a concurrent development framework has to be implemented (by the state) with MRT Corp,” he said
The Mutiara Line LRT project on Penang island would involve the construction of 21 stations in strategic locations, including a provisional station at Silicon Island – which is being reclaimed on the southern coast of the island.
One of the stations, the McCallum station, will be an interchange station that leads to both Komtar and Penang Sentral in Butterworth.
Construction works for the LRT project will commence at the lot of land at Bandar Sri Pinang, with the project expected to be completed in 2031.
According to Zarif, MRT Corp is targeting the ridership of 60,000 users per day in Year 3 after the project completion, and 168,000 users per day for the next 20 years.
Regarding the cross-channel LRT rail link that connects the island and the Butterworth, Zarif said that the project is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2026. He also said that the midpoint section of the link would be as high as 62m to allow cargo ships to pass through it.
Additionally, he also said that the stations’ construction works will be done segment by segment instead of one-go to avoid traffic congestion issues on the island. – January 11, 2025
