The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has introduced a series of traffic management measures, including the implementation of “Ops Payung”, to ease congestion at major tourist hotspots during the year-end school holidays, Christmas and New Year celebrations.

In a statement today, MBPP said Ops Payung will be enforced throughout the festive period at key locations such as Jalan Penang, Bukit Bendera, the Penang Festival site in Sungai Nibong, and Padang Kota Lama.

Along Jalan Penang, traffic control will be carried out daily from 11am to 5pm at three checkpoints located near Pasar Chowrasta Market, Kedai Jeruk Madu and in front of Lebuh Keng Kwee. At Bukit Bendera, enforcement will be conducted at two checkpoints between noon and 6pm to manage visitor traffic.

For the Penang Festival site in Sungai Nibong, MBPP officers will focus on maintaining smooth traffic flow and clearing obstructions from 7pm until midnight. Meanwhile, tow-truck patrols will be deployed at Padang Kota Lama starting from 6pm to address illegal parking and traffic bottlenecks.

To improve response time, MBPP will utilise its citywide CCTV network as “Intelligent Eyes” to monitor real-time traffic conditions. This will allow enforcement teams to be dispatched quickly to congestion hotspots as they arise. In addition, the operating hours of the council’s Enforcement Department Traffic Unit will be extended from 10pm to midnight, with extra patrols assigned to other congestion-prone areas.

Separately, all city council construction and public works, including roadworks and utility excavations, will be suspended from December 23 to January 1, 2026, except for emergency repairs. A 24-hour maintenance team will remain on standby to address urgent issues and ensure traffic flow is not disrupted.

While welcoming visitors to Penang, MBPP urged all motorists to comply with traffic regulations, plan their journeys in advance and park only in designated areas.

Earlier, Bernama reported that more than 2.2 million vehicles are expected to enter Penang during the festive period. Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the projection is based on previous festive traffic trends, compounded by the ongoing Penang Festival running until January 10, 2026.

About Taman Simpang Empat

A low-density residential enclave within the SA Central freehold mixed-development by GUH Development Sdn. Bhd., located in Simpang Ampat. Comprising 61 units of 2-storey terrace homes with built-up areas starting from approximately 1,776 sq.ft., the development is designed to cater to modern family living. Strategically connected to major roads and the North–South Highways, and surrounded by everyday amenities, schools and commercial hubs, Taman Simpang Empat offers a balanced lifestyle anchored by comfort, connectivity and long-term value within the upcoming SA Central township.

SHOW UNITS READY FOR VIEWING

In an effort to ease mounting traffic congestion in the Bayan Lepas and Bayan Baru areas, Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) has announced an extension of the gate opening hours at Free Industrial Zone Phase 3 (FIZ 3) along Jalan Kampung Jawa.

The announcement was made during a press conference organised by MBPP’s Engineering Department yesterday, chaired by MBPP councillor Dr Mohd Suhairi Arumugam Abdullah. Several city councillors were present, along with representatives from the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (Penang).

Jalan Kampung Jawa is a key arterial road linking Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway via the industrial area of FIZ Phase 3. The road is gated and jointly controlled by MBPP and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department as it passes through a free industrial zone.

At present, the gate is opened from Monday to Friday between 5.30am and 8.00pm, primarily for factory workers, while also serving as an alternative route for the general public. The gate, however, remains closed on weekends and public holidays.

With traffic volumes around the Bayan Baru roundabout continuing to rise, MBPP proposed extending the gate’s operating hours to provide an additional route for motorists travelling between Bayan Lepas, Bayan Baru and the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway. The proposed new opening hours are from 5.30am to 11.00pm daily.

The proposal was submitted to the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and discussed with the Free Industrial Zone Penang Companies’ Association (FREPENCA). Following these engagements, Customs has agreed to the extension.

Under the new arrangement, the FIZ Phase 3 gate along Jalan Kampung Jawa will open daily from 5.30am until 11.00pm, effective 1 January 2026.

According to MBPP, the extended opening hours are expected to:

• Reduce traffic conflicts around the Bayan Baru roundabout and surrounding roads
• Improve overall traffic flow
• Provide an additional alternative route for road users
• Enhance road capacity and safety in the area

The proposed landed residential development is located in Bukit Mertajam. It is situated on a 6.19-acre site off Jalan Betek Manis 1, adjacent to SRJK(C) Keow Kuang. The surrounding area comprises several gated housing schemes developed by Tah Wah Group, including Orange Park, Orange Villa, and Orange Villa 2.

The development is planned to comprise 83 units of two-storey terrace houses. Detailed project specifications have not been disclosed at this stage; however, the development is expected to consist of non-strata landed homes.

Project Name : (to be confirmed)
Location : Bukit Mertajam
Property Type : Residential
Tenure: (to be confirmed)
Land Area: 6.19 acres
Built-up Size: (to be confirmed)
Total Units : 83
Indicative Price : (to be confirmed)
Developer : (Follow us to find out more)

DISCLAIMER: This article is solely based on research done using publicly available data. This is not an advertisement. Any claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a project or service should be verified with the developer, provider, or party in question.

The Penang state government has announced an increase in the quit rent rebate rate for 2026 to 50%, up from the previously announced 32.5%. The move is intended to ease the financial burden on landowners while allowing the transition to the revised quit rent rates to be implemented in a more gradual and controlled manner.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the revised rebate was an additional measure to balance the interests of landowners with the state’s revenue needs. He explained that the new quit rent rates will remain in force for a minimum period of 10 years, in accordance with provisions under the National Land Code. The rebate is subject to a minimum quit rent rate, and if the payable amount after the rebate is lower than the quit rent paid in the previous year, the existing amount will continue to apply.

Chow made the announcement to reporters at Komtar on December 23, 2025. He said the decision to increase the rebate rate was approved at the State Executive Council meeting on December 10. A subsequent council meeting on December 17 agreed that appeals for reductions in quit rent, outstanding quit rent, and late payment penalties may be considered through the Land Office for specific cases.

Examples include land replanted with rubber, oil palm, coconut, or fruit trees under schemes that ended within the past six years, land used for public purposes, and landowners facing hardship such as poverty, disability, or loss of income due to disasters or other reasonable circumstances. Consideration may also be given to “First Grade” landowners affected by changes in rates based on current land use, as well as those involved in the reclassification of land from rural to urban status. All appeals are subject to established conditions.

In a related move, the state government will grant a 100% exemption on penalties for outstanding quit rent and parcel rent from January 1 to December 31, 2026, involving penalties totalling RM25 million. The initiative aims to encourage land and parcel owners to settle any accumulated arrears.

Quit rent bills reflecting the new rates will be mailed in mid-January 2026, while online checking and payment will be available from January 2, 2026. The revised rates, gazetted on September 11, 2025, will take effect on January 1, 2026, affecting nearly 370,000 land titles across the state.