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GEORGE TOWN: The Northern Zone 2024 Madani Rakyat programme held at Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong received an exceptional response from residents of the Peninsula’s three northern states, recording over 200,000 visitors throughout the three-day event since Friday.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook stated that the attendance surpassed the initial target of over 100,000 visitors, with the Ministry of Transport leading the organisation of the event.

"This attendance is also much higher than the turnout at Bukit Jalil. It is an extraordinary response from the northern region," he said during his speech at the closing ceremony officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

He highlighted that over the three days, the Road Transport Department distributed 3,000 new helmets to visitors and hoped to increase this number in future programmes due to the public’s high demand. 

Touching on transportation, Loke stated that the government is constantly striving and committed to creating a better and more systematic public transportation system. 

He stated that since February 2023, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) has increased the frequency of the Northern KTM Komuter route between Padang Besar and Butterworth and the Butterworth-Padang Besar route. 

"Plans include the Cabinet approving the LRT (Light Rail Transit) Mutiara Line project on March 22, to meet the demands of residents and alleviate traffic congestion," he said.

Regarding the FlySiswa initiative, he noted that 37,551 students have been allocated RM6,878,919.36 in the Flysiswa 2023 programme, with 75 per cent of the 50,095 eligible students having redeemed their digital vouchers.

He advised all students to verify their eligibility on the Ministry of Transport's website to avail themselves of this assistance.