GEORGE TOWN, April 10 — MRT Corp will start the land acquisition process for the second segment of the Penang LRT Mutiara Line that runs between Macallum on the island and Penang Sentral in Butterworth, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said a total of 38 private lands have been identified for acquisition.

“MRT Corp expects to gazette the identified lands under Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 by July this year,” he said.

He added that site entry is expected by 2027.

As for the first segment, covering Permatang Damar Laut to Macallum, he said the land acquisition process is already well underway.

“A total of 61 privately owned land lots have completed the land hearing process under the Land Acquisition Act 1960,” he said.

He said 41 Form H notices have been issued, while MRT Corp has paid compensation for 39 land lots.

He added that the Penang office of the Lands and Mines Department (JKPTG) has issued 14 Form K notices to enable site handover to contractors.

He said this process is expected to be completed by June this year.

Loke said early works have already commenced in areas where land acquisition has been completed.

“Design development is ongoing, with pier construction already visible at several locations along the alignment,” he said.

Currently, he said there are ongoing public display sessions for the Mutiara Line extension connecting Komtar to Penang Sentral.

“We have received more than 16,000 feedback so far and of this total, 99 per cent of respondents have expressed support for the proposed extension of the Mutiara Line,” he said.

Loke later witnessed the symbolic handover of the Sungai Nibong Pesta site between the Penang state government and MRT Corp.

He said the site had been identified as the most suitable location for an additional depot following a detailed evaluation process, taking into account operational requirements, land availability, existing land use and future development plans.

He said the Sungai Nibong Pesta site, which has hosted the Penang Fair since 1966, holds significant sentimental value to the local community.

“MRT Corp had revised the depot design to reduce land use to about 11.5 acres, ensuring only part of the site would be utilised for depot operations, while the remaining area would continue to serve community purposes,” he said.

He added that there are also plans to upgrade the Pesta site and incorporate transit-oriented development to support local businesses and daily community activities.

He said the depot’s location near the midpoint of the alignment would improve operational efficiency, enhance system management and provide greater flexibility in train scheduling, while complementing the main depot planned at Penang Silicon Island.

The LRT Mutiara Line initially focused on Bayan Lepas to Komtar but was later expanded to connect the island to the mainland as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Sungai Nibong Pesta site will be developed as part of an integrated transport hub, which includes the construction of an LRT station and depot to support the overall operations of the Mutiara Line.

He said the handover of the site is being carried out in phases involving Civil Main Contract 1 (CMC 1), followed by CMC 3, in line with project planning.

“The area involved in the LRT development at the Pesta site covers both Phase CMC 1 and Phase CMC 3,” he said.

He said Phase CMC 1 involves approximately 1.17 hectares (2.9 acres), while Phase CMC 3 covers about 2.8 hectares (7 acres).

“In total, the development spans four hectares (9.9 acres) out of the overall 8.13-hectare (20.1-acre) Pesta site,” he said.