PUTRAJAYA: The Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) Mutiara Line project remains on track and progressing on schedule, says project owner Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp).
In a statement, the company said it has made strong progress over the past three months, with one of the key milestones being the recent approval of advance works under Section 20A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, granted on April 15.
"MRT Corp has also made significant headway in the land acquisition process, having secured access to 86 plots of land to date and completed the gazettement under Section 8 under the Land Acquisition Act 1960.
This progress, achieved ahead of the original October 2025 target, marks a major milestone in keeping the project on schedule, the statement on Monday (April 21) read.
The company added that SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd, the appointed main civil contractor for Package 1, is currently working to meet several post-award conditions outlined in the contract.
The official Notice to Proceed will only be issued to SRS Consortium once all post-award conditions have been satisfactorily fulfilled.
"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," clarified MRT Corp.
The clarification comes in response to a recent news report quoting MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng, who questioned the project's status and pointed out that the official commencement notice had yet to be issued, despite its formal launch in January.
The 29.5km Mutiara Line will feature 21 strategically located stations and is designed to improve connectivity across Penang Island and the mainland, easing traffic congestion and enhancing accessibility.
Its base alignment will link Penang South Reclamation's Island A to both Penang Sentral and the Komtar Station in George Town, with trains operating alternately along both routes for broader coverage. - Bernama
