22/02/2026

NATIONAL 6 theSun on Sunday FEB 22, 2026

Johor moves to hasten ART plan

Penang project wins Unesco award GEORGE TOWN: The Esplanade Seawall and Promenade project in Penang has been internationally recognised in the 2025 Unesco Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, receiving the New Design in Heritage Contexts honour with special recognition for sustainable development. State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai shared the news via a Facebook post yesterday. He also included the jury citation that the project had set a national benchmark for conservation-cum-new design in the reimagining of a historic civic space, incorporating an innovative hybrid of traditional and modern day engineering elements in the face of coastal degradation. The seven-member international jury said the design maintains form and function to enhance community wellbeing, improve access to the waterfront and support environmental stewardship in response to climate change. “The new seawall now features a wide promenade that replicates its 19th-century typology, with traditional granite construction, a concealed sheet-pile toe and rock revetment for erosion resistance. It also features a lower terrace that submerges during spring tides, exposing the original seawall near the Cenotaph War Memorial. “Under expert guidance, the enhancement of the esplanade’s historicity highlights the outstanding universal value of the world heritage property. Its dual structure, local materials and stakeholder governance are studied as models across Malaysia.” – Bernama

addition to considering adding an alignment in Pasir Gudang. However, he said the proposal for the new alignment in Pasir Gudang had not been raised with the ministry. He added that the state government had waited about a year to get approval for the project although a study had been done to affirm that its cost was lower than that of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. “Apart from the lower construction cost, the construction time may also be shorter than the LRT.” He expressed hope that the federal government would immediately approve the project to support the RTS, as delays in implementation are expected to cause the city to experience congestion for the next few years. “Whether or not this ART has to be done, let’s just say we are late in receiving approval. So, we will have several years of Johor Bahru being congested. There is a study (stating that) Johor Bahru is the fourth most congested city in Malaysia,” he said. Previously, Mohamad Fazli was quoted as saying the estimated total cost of providing LRT infrastructure in Johor was RM16.7 billion, compared with the ART, which only involved about RM7 billion. Last December, Transport Minister Anthony Loke was quoted as saying the approval of the ART project was under discussion and details regarding its implementation would be finalised in the near future. Loke said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had also held discussions on the matter. The Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail also expressed concern over the traffic congestion problems that will arise when the RTS is operational without the support of the ART project.

State may start on vital sections first while waiting for federal govt approval on entire project

Rapid Transit System (RTS) next year. “The Tebrau area is the most congested, we could probably prioritise this alignment first and then focus on other alignments. “For example, if the alignment involves a route of about 20km, we could do it as a package and contractors could work together to speed up construction,” he told Bernama. Mohamad Fazli said the state government initially proposed three alignments, including Skudai and Iskandar Puteri, to the Transport Ministry in

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor government has proposed the Automated Rapid Transit (ART) project be implemented on important alignments first if the project receives approval from the federal government. Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli

Mohamad said alignments in the Tebrau area, which often experience traffic congestion, should be given priority. He said this is important to ensure the implementation of the project is expedited to disperse traffic in the affected areas, alongside the operation of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Salleh

Mohamad Fazli said the state government has been waiting for about a year to get approval for the project.

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