Mutiara Line

The Mutiara LRT Line ( English: ''Pearl'') is a light rail transit (LRT) system under development in Penang. The line will connect George Town's city centre with its southern suburbs of Jelutong, Gelugor and Bayan Lepas, with a link towards Seberang Perai across the Penang Strait. The first domestic LRT line outside the Klang Valley, the Mutiara line is a component of the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) and comprises 21 stations. Once completed, it will be owned by the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp). Construction of the line began in 2025 and will be completed by 2031.

The line was previously known as the ''Bayan Lepas line'', introduced by the Penang state government in 2015 as part of the PTMP. The plan envisaged a light metro system along George Town's heavily urbanised eastern shoreline in a north-south axis, with an extension towards Silicon Island. It received conditional approval from the Malaysian federal government in 2019, and construction was scheduled to begin in 2020 amidst overwhelming public support. However, construction was repeatedly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide political crisis which resulted in a withdrawal of support by successive governments of different political coalitions.

After the general election of 2022, the Malaysian federal government expedited development of the rapid transit line with additional funding, before fully taking over the project from the Penang state government. The line was re-designated and its alignment was substantially redesigned to its present state, which added a cross-strait link from George Town to Seberang Perai.

Overview

The Mutiara line forms the backbone of the Penang Transport Master Plan, an initiative created by the Penang state government in 2015 to improve transport infrastructure throughout the state. The master plan includes several rapid transit lines, including one that spans the northsouth axis of George Town's east coast between the city centre and Bayan Lepas. , average daily traffic along the city centreBayan Lepas axis reached 64,144 vehicles, further necessitating an alternative mode of transportation to serve the densely populated urban and industrial corridor. In addition, the transit service would facilitate easier commutes for tourists arriving via the Penang International Airport.

History

Initial design

In April 2015, news reports emerged about the proposed LRT line from Komtar to the Penang International Airport. The line was expected to cost around RM4.5 billion. Chow Kon Yeow, who held the position of Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Executive Councillor at the time, was quoted as saying that the LRT would take five to six years to complete. Months later, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced the appointment of SRS Consortium as the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP). The consortium consists of Gamuda Berhad as the majority shareholder, Penang-based Loh Phoy Yen Holdings and Ideal Property Development.

In December that year, SRS Consortium announced that the construction of the Bayan Lepas LRT would commence in 2018, with the goal of completing it by 2024. The original route of the Bayan Lepas LRT was disclosed in February the following year. The proposed route consisted of 19 stations spanning a 22 km (14 mi) stretch between Komtar and Permatang Damar Laut, with another eight stations planned for the proposed Penang South Islands (PSI) reclamation project, bringing the total length of the LRT line to .

As public transportation falls under the ambit of the Malaysian federal government, in March 2016, the state government submitted the proposed Bayan Lepas LRT system to the federal Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) for approval. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was also submitted to the federal Department of Environment (DOE) in 2017.

Funding became a contentious issue, as at that point, Penang was an opposition state governed by the Pakatan Rakyat bloc (now Pakatan Harapan). The Najib Razak administration had ignored requests by the state government for federal funding, forcing the state to resort to the PSI reclamation project to fund the PTMP. The state estimated that the sale of the reclaimed islets would generate RM70 billion in revenue, which would help finance the cost of PTMP. Additionally, the development of the islets was projected to result in economic spillover of RM100 billion.

Receiving government support

The PSI project became a political issue prior to the elections in 2018, with the incumbent Barisan Nasional federal government opposing the reclamation on the grounds of protecting the livelihoods of the affected fishermen. The PTMP, along with the PSI, formed part of Pakatan Harapan's (PH) 68-point election manifesto for Penang. Consequently, the Bayan Lepas LRT, which was dependent on the reclamation project, did not receive approval until after the elections when PH came into federal power. In 2019, the federal Ministry of Transport gave conditional approval for the Bayan Lepas LRT. The estimated cost of the line had increased to RM8.4 billion.

Detailed plans of the Bayan Lepas LRT were put on public display in 2019 as part of the conditional approval. Despite dissent from certain interest groups, the LRT received close to 98% support from the public. Chow, who succeeded Lim as Chief Minister after the election, stated that construction of the LRT would begin in 2020, and that the state government had secured a sovereign guarantee from the PH administration to issue bonds for the LRT.

Successive withdrawal of government support

Following the 2020–2022 Malaysian political crisis, the federal government rescinded the guarantee for a US$500 million loan application to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for financing the Bayan Lepas LRT. PH politicians from Penang subsequently accused the Perikatan Nasional administration of "political vendetta". In the midst of the political feuding and the nationwide quarantine imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government announced that they would pursue other financing options for the LRT project. By then, the project was estimated to cost RM9.5 billion.

Revival and redesign

In 2022, the state government initiated a request for proposal (RFP) to obtain private funding and pre-qualify potential operators of the Bayan Lepas LRT. The RFP received eight submissions from local and international consortiums by the end of the year, with the state government planning to commence construction in 2023.

The federal election in 2022 resulted in a coalition government headed by PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim. As Prime Minister, Anwar announced additional federal allocations in May 2023 to expedite the development of the Bayan Lepas LRT line. With more funds being made available, the state government decided to scale down the PSI project from three to one islet (Silicon Island).

After months of studies, in 2024, the federal government took over the LRT line, renaming it the Mutiara LRT Line. Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) was appointed the developer and asset owner, while SRS Consortium was offered the contract for civil engineering of the first segment, which stretches from the Silicon Island to Komtar. Significant changes were made to the alignment, including a cross-strait extension from Komtar to Penang Sentral at Butterworth and a proposed depot at Sungai Nibong. Following negotiations between federal and state authorities, the alignment was shortened to , while the Macallum and Sungai Dua stations were designated as interchange stations. Komtar was intended to function as an interchange station for future metro lines in George Town.

Construction

Construction is divided into three phases. SRS Consortium is responsible for the first segment civil construction of the elevated section between the Komtar station and Silicon Island. The second phase consists of a cross-strait extension from the Macallum station to Penang Sentral at Butterworth, with an open tender anticipated to be called by July 2025. The cross-strait section will involve the construction of a bridge spanning shipping lanes, which necessitates negotiations between MRT Corp and the Penang Port Commission to ensure its design has sufficient clearance for cargo vessels. In December 2024, MRT Corp announced an open tender for the third phase, which seeks to appoint a turnkey contractor for the engineering, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning and maintenance of the rail system.

The Bandar Sri Pinang station was also announced as the first station scheduled for construction. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 11 January 2025. Prime Minister Anwar, who presided over the ceremony, expressed hope that the LRT line preserves Penang's unique identity while setting "new standards for infrastructure in Malaysia", and reiterated its potential to "stimulate high-value investments, foster new industries, and bring economic benefits to Penang and the northern corridor as a whole". The line is expected to be operational by 2031.

Station listing

The following stations were finalised by the Penang state government and Mass Rapid Transit Corporation .

See also

* Malaysian national projects
* Rail transport in Malaysia
* Rapid Penang
* Transport in Penang

References

External links

Official website of the Mutiara LRT

{{Urban Rail Transit in ASEAN

Penang Integrated Transportation Masterplan
Rail transport in Penang
Proposed rail infrastructure in Malaysia