GEORGE TOWN, July 22 — A soft loan from the federal government will allow the proposed Pan Island Link (PIL) and the light rail transit (LRT) system projects in the state to be implemented simultaneously.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the financial assistance would also help bear the construction cost of the initial phase of the two projects under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).

“If we can get a bridging loan (from the federal government) of RM1 billion, the two components, namely the LRT and the PIL can be carried out simultaneously, otherwise it will be implemented one by one.

“One project may take up to five or six years, and both of the projects will take about 12 years. Therefore, the Penang people will have to wait a very long time for the two important projects,” he told reporters after a briefing session with Penang members of parliament and assemblymen on the PTMP here today.

Chow said he had submitted a proposal to request for the soft loan from the federal government during a state executive council meeting but it was still at an early stage as the approval of the implementation of the projects under the PTMP had yet to be obtained.

PTMP is a state-initiated project costing an estimated RM46 billion which features an undersea tunnel linking the island to the mainland, highways, LRT, monorail as well as extensive bus connectivity on both the island and the mainland. — Bernama