21-04-2025
Penang LRT: Land Secured, Pre-Construction Advances Ahead Of Schedule
Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has secured access to 86 land plots and completed gazettement under Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 — a milestone achieved well ahead of its original October 2025 target.
The progress comes as part of the Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) Mutiara Line project, which remains on track and is progressing according to schedule, MRT Corp confirmed in a statement today.
The Mutiara Line, stretching 29.5 km and featuring 21 stations, aims to boost mobility across Penang Island and the mainland. The line will connect Penang South Reclamation's Island A to Penang Sentral and Komtar Station, with trains running alternately across both routes to maximise coverage.
A critical milestone was the recent approval of advance works under Section 20A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, granted on April 15, which further cements the project's forward momentum.
The company clarified that SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd — the main civil contractor for Package 1 — is currently working to fulfil several post-award contract conditions. Only after these are satisfied will the official Notice to Proceed (NTP) be issued.
MRT Corp explained: 'As the design-and-build civil contractor for Package 1, SRS must finalise the designs and construction drawings for the civil structures within the project scope after receiving the NTP. Another critical aspect of pre-construction work is the relocation of utilities, which must be completed before any station or viaduct-related construction activity can occur.'
This statement comes in response to a recent news report quoting MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng, who questioned the project's status and highlighted that the official NTP had yet to be issued, despite the LRT's formal launch in January. Related
