Done deal: Imran (third right) shaking hands with Firdaus during the signing of the MOA. Looking on are Loke (right) and Saarani (second left).
IPOH: A multibillion-ringgit integrated transportation hub will be established here within 20 years, says the Transport Minister.
Anthony Loke said the modern Ipoh Sentral will be divided into two phases on a 27.1ha plot located at the back of the iconic Ipoh Railway Station.
The overall transit-orientated development project is expected to be completed in two decades, which would see integrated public transportation with mixed developments such as residential, commercial and recreational spaces.
Loke said work on the 2.55ha first phase of the project is expected to start in six months and be completed in two years.
“The first phase involves improvements to landscaping and the recreational aspect, while preserving the heritage and cultural elements,” the minister told a press conference after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the project between Ipoh Sentral Sdn Bhd (ISSB) and Country Annexe Sdn Bhd (CASB) here yesterday.
The signing was also witnessed by Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
This project is realised through close cooperation between the Railway Asset Corporation, Perak state government and private industry players such as Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB).
MRCB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary CASB, assumes a vital role as the main developer of this project.
The MOA was signed by MRCB group managing director Datuk Imran Salim, representing CASB, while ISSB was represented by its chief executive officer Firdaus Effendy Mokhtar.
Loke said phase two covers a mixed development over 24.7ha involving the construction of serviced apartments, offices, commercial spaces, hotels and community facilities.
“This phase, expected to take 20 years to complete, will become a modern hub connecting various transport modes such as rail and bus services,” he said.
The Ipoh Railway Station, he added, will not be affected by the project and in fact will be preserved.
