GEORGE TOWN – The six-year timeline for Penang’s much-awaited Mutiara Line light rail transit (LRT) project is officially underway, following the issuance of the notice to proceed (NTP) to SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd, MRT Corp announced.
The Gamuda Bhd-led consortium received the NTP on Tuesday for the project’s first civil works package. MRT Corp said SRS had fulfilled the post-award conditions of its contract, which came into effect in June 2025.
“Following the award of the civil works contract for Package 1, SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd successfully fulfilled a series of post-award conditions outlined in the contract leading to their contract coming into effect in June 2025 and paving the way for the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) on July 15,” said the company in a brief statement to Scoop.
Gamuda holds a 60% stake in the consortium, with the remaining shares equally split between Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd and Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd. The consortium was awarded the project in January.
MRT Corp, a Finance Ministry-owned company, is the asset owner and project manager for Penang’s first LRT line. The Mutiara Line spans 29.5km and will feature 21 elevated stations strategically located across Penang island.
One of these – the Macallum station – will serve as an interchange, connecting both the Komtar station on the island and the Penang Sentral station in Butterworth via a 5.78km cross-channel link. The bridge will rise to 62 metres at its midspan to accommodate ship passage.
First proposed by the state government in 2015, the project received conditional approval from the then Pakatan Harapan federal administration in 2019, with construction initially set to begin in 2020.
However, progress stalled amid the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent political instability, which saw changes in federal leadership and inconsistent backing.
The federal government eventually took over the project through MRT Corp in March 2024.
The Mutiara Line is expected to cost RM13 billion and is scheduled for completion in 2031. — July 17, 2025