LRT is the way forward for Penang to reduce road congestion – Azmin

Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali said the light rail transit (LRT) is the way forward for Penang and was one of the items on the agenda when discussing the framework of the 12th Malaysia Plan with the state government today.

At a press conference in George Town, Azmin said the LRT, part of the Penang Transport Master Plan, will reduce private vehicles on the road. On July 4, Penang received the nod from Putrajaya to go ahead with the LRT project, but it has to comply with 30 conditions before applying for full approval.

“It will encourage more public transport usage and this is in line with our national policy,” Azmin said, flanked by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Others who joined the three-hour meeting were state secretary Farizan Darus and Economic Affairs Ministry (MEA) chief secretary Saiful Anuar Lebai Hussen.

“We will definitely look into this matter carefully. In principle, we support any initiative to reduce private vehicles usage and increase the use of public transport at an affordable rate, ” he added.

Together with Chow, Azmin met state executive committee members and head of departments to discuss the 12MP framework, which will be presented in Parliament on September 2020.

Penang is the sixth state to meet the MEA to discuss the plan since the roadshow began on July 5. Azmin said Penang is an important strategic partner to the Malaysian economy as it is one of the most developed states and the fifth highest contributor to the country’s GDP at RM91.18 billion or 6.7 percent in 2018.

The minister added that the MEA presented the 12MP document based on its new theme “shared prosperity”, which was launched by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad after the May 9 elections last year.

Azmin praised Chow’s ‘Vision Penang 2030′ which focuses on the family institution as the basis for development as “very comprehensive”.

“We heard how Penang plans to diversify its economy and how it plans to carry out high impact projects as an impetus to drive the economy,” he said. However, Azmin said he is unable to disclose details of the projects discussed as these would have to be reviewed by the relevant ministries and authorities.

He cited an example of the proposal to upgrade the Sungai Bakap hospital, before saying “But I cannot disclose the details as we have to discuss the matter with the Health Ministry”. Azmin said Penang would not be sidelined when it comes to project approvals, adding that any investment announced in neighbouring states like Kedah should be “complementary”.

On how the previous Malaysia Plans were implemented during BN’s rule, Azmin said engagements were usually carried out at the federal level.

“But this time, we decided to go to the states and hear from them about their needs and priorities.

“We hope these discussions will forge a better understanding between the state and federal governments”.