BUTTERWORTH: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday (Nov 8) officiated the opening of the Seberang Perai Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) at the Penang Sentral Transport Terminal here, which is expected to benefit more than one million residents in surrounding areas, including the southern border of Kedah and northern Perak.
The Prime Minister, who arrived at 3.20pm, was received by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
Anwar, who had a packed schedule in Penang on Saturday, spent about an hour touring the Seberang Perai UTC, the country’s 24th UTC and the second in Penang after the Komtar UTC.
In a statement, the Finance Ministry said the UTC is among the initiatives announced by the Prime Minister during the tabling of Budget 2025 on Oct 18 last year, realised through strategic collaboration between the Finance Ministry and the Penang state government.
Located within an integrated transport hub connecting KTM, buses, ferries and taxis, the Seberang Perai UTC serves as a vital gateway to the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) and strengthens Butterworth’s position as a socio-economic focal point in Seberang Perai.
Operating daily from 8am to 9pm, the UTC houses various key government agencies including the National Registration Department, Immigration Department, Road Transport Department, Health Ministry’s health and dental clinics, the Royal Malaysia Police, the Public Services Commission and the Inland Revenue Board.
Among the value-added facilities provided are the fourth Sentuhan Madani Kiosk in the country and the first outside the Klang Valley, as well as the Cash Aid Information Hub (Individual), which manages various assistance programmes including the Rahmah Cash Contribution, Rahmah Basic Contribution, Budi Madani RON95 and other forms of assistance under the Social Welfare Department.
"Also introduced is the Public-Private Sector Career Hub, a collaboration between the Public Services Commission and MyFutureJobs, which offers local job seekers access to career information and advisory services,” said the ministry's statement.
The Seberang Perai UTC was designed and built by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) based on Finance Ministry guidelines, setting a new benchmark for future UTCs.
It is located within the Penang Sentral Integrated Transport Terminal owned by MRCB.
In terms of operational facilities, the UTC features an integrated Smart Queue Management System (QMS), open workspaces and modern equipment.
The establishment of the Seberang Perai UTC marks a new benchmark for urban transformation centres nationwide, emphasising principles of efficiency, comfort and user-friendliness.- Bernama
