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GEORGE TOWN (April 7): The Penang government has begun planning to relocate several agencies to Silicon Island, in line with the project’s physical progress.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state will not wait for the full reclamation of the island’s 930.777 hectares before moving ahead with topside development.
He added that the approximately 69-acre site designated for the Mutiara Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) depot is also nearing completion and is expected to be handed over to Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) next month.
“To date, 133.546 out of the 517.5929-hectare target for the first phase has been reclaimed. The handover of the LRT depot land marks a key milestone, allowing the start of physical development on Silicon Island,” he said after officiating the Penang Local Plan (Silicon Island) 2050 Publicity and Public Participation Programme on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Penang Development Corporation has been appointed to assist in the planning of the island’s architectural design and land use, including the development of a new state administrative centre.
Chow said the proposed administrative centre will be modest in scale, with only 2.8328 hectares allocated, and is likely to involve the relocation of selected agencies, while existing offices at the Kompleks Tun Abdul Razak (Komtar) will remain in use.
“Regarding the proposal to relocate the state legislative assembly to Silicon Island, the land is expected to be ready by 2028, with physical development to begin only after that,” he said.
Beyond the administrative centre, he added that industrial plots on the island will be released in phases to investors, further supported by incentives from the Ministry of Finance.
Chow also assured that essential utilities, including water supply, have been fully accounted for, with collaborative efforts under the Perak-Penang water supply scheme.
“Our vision from the outset has been to develop Silicon Island based on best practices in land use planning, incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he said.
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