By Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH: The RM6.25 billion Ipoh Sentral development project is being rolled out in stages, beginning with the construction of a landscaped park early this year, followed by the construction of a mosque towards the end of the year.
Perak Menteri Besar, Dato’ Seri Saarani Mohamad said construction of the mosque was expected to take about two years to complete.
He said the project would subsequently proceed with the construction of an Integrated Terminal and Shopping Centre, scheduled to begin in 2027.
“The construction of the integrated terminal and shopping centre is expected to take between five and six years.
“The residential development phase, meanwhile, is targeted to begin in 2028,” he said when replying to an oral question from M Thulsi Thivani (PH-Buntong) during the Second Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Perak Legislative Assembly at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building here today.
Saarani, who is also the Kota Tampan assemblyman, said subsequent phases of the development would be carried out flexibly over a 20-year horizon, depending on market conditions.
He said the Ipoh Sentral project was expected to bring broad-based development to the Kinta district, particularly in terms of the economy, mobility, quality of life and tourism.
“From the economic and employment perspective, the project is projected to generate between 8,000 and 9,000 jobs during the construction phase.
“Upon full completion, it is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs across various sectors, including construction, services, logistics and trade,” he said.
Saarani said the development was also expected to have a positive impact on local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by stimulating activities in the retail, culinary and transportation sectors.
He added that the Ipoh Sentral development had the potential to increase property values in surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, responding to a supplementary question from Thulsi Thivani, Saarani clarified that the Ipoh Sentral development would only involve land approved to the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) for development purposes.
He said the project did not involve the acquisition of land belonging to individuals.
“The current implementation of the project involves land that has been approved to RAC for development.
“To date, the Land and Mines Office (PTG) has not received any intention to acquire land involving the Ipoh Sentral development,” he said.
