Transport ministry to prepare Cabinet paper on Penang LRT project

The project is expected to cost RM10 billion.
Dineskumar Ragu – 16 Jan 2024, 1:06pm

Transport minister Loke Siew Fook says the Cabinet memo will be centred on the implementation of the Penang LRT project. (Bernama pic)

PERAI: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the transport ministry to table a Cabinet memo on the Penang light rail transit (LRT) project, says minister Loke Siew Fook.

Loke said Anwar issued the instruction during a meeting on the project yesterday.

“The memo will be presented to the Cabinet to be approved in terms of its (project) implementation,” he said.

The LRT is expected to follow the Bayan Lepas-Komtar-Tanjung Bungah-Air Itam-Butterworth- Kepala Batas-Simpang Ampat route.

The entire project is expected to cost RM10 billion.

On a separate matter, Loke also announced that Hindu devotees who will be celebrating Thaipusam on Jan 25 can enjoy free feeder bus and ferry services for 50 hours from 12am on Jan 24 until 2am on Jan 26.

He said the feeder bus service will bring devotees from the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal in George Town to the Penang Waterfall Temple in a bid to optimise public transport usage as well as reduce the number of cars on the road during the Thaipusam celebration.

He was speaking to the media after witnessing a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Railway Assets Corporation and the Penang state housing board to resettle squatters in Kampung Manis at a new housing project.

Mahathir ‘goes back’ on his ‘Bangsa Malaysia’ vision

Loke also said he was disappointed with Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his recent remarks that the Indian community was not “completely loyal to Malaysia”.

Loke said Mahathir’s “offensive remarks” went against the “Bangsa Malaysia” vision he had outlined in Vision 2020, where he envisioned a united Malaysian society regardless of differences in racial and religious backgrounds.

He also said that Mahathir, as a former statesman, should not have made such remarks.

“This is something that is (highly) regretted since as former prime minister, he (Mahathir) should preach messages of unity. But it seems like he wants to see Malaysians divided.