Fajarbaru eyes more maintenance works for railway tracks

KUALA LIPIS: Fajarbaru Builder Group Bhd, a local construction company, is eyeing more maintenance works for railway tracks, especially those under Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB).

Group executive director Eric Kuan Khian Leng said there was potential for huge maintenance contracts that would come with the vast spending being undertaken on rail-related jobs.

Currently, there are over 2,200 km of railway tracks in the country, of which KTMB owned more than 80%.

“In view of some RM50bil that has gone into rail-related infrastructure projects in the last five years, Malaysia is poised to spend a further RM80bil at least in the next five years.

“We hope both KTMB and Fajarbaru can tap into each other’s expertise and capitalise on the synergistic competencies to keep the rail network well maintained,” Kuan said during the handing over of RM50mil worth of track work machinery to Fajarbaru by its China suppliers, China Jiangsu KTK Locomotive and Rolling Stocks Co Ltd and Gemac Engineering Machinery Co Ltd Shunting here yesterday.

The handing over was witnessed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

Kuan also said that with the new machineries that would have a shell life of at least 20 years, the company would be able to make further inroads into the construction-maintenance sector.

“This marks the beginning of a transformation and further development for the company in the rail business and gives us a significant competitive advantage in the bidding of new construction and maintenance jobs for rail-related projects in the future,” he added.

Among the machineries received were ballast wagon, flat wagon, crane, ballast cleaning machine, ballast regulator and tamping machine switch tamper that would be used for the construction of the Jerantut, Pahang and Gua Musang railway stations in Kelantan.

On May 5, 2016, Fajarbaru secured a RM259.7mil contract from the Ministry of Transport for the rehabilitation of the railway stations, expected to be completed in 36 months or June 2019.

Kuan said Fajarbaru was also eyeing the 37-km Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) project under Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.

“It is going to be competitive for us to bid in open tender (LRT3) projects but we believe we stand a good chance, given our strong and proven track record.

“Currently, we have tendered five proposals to Prasarana for the project,” said Kuan.

The LRT3 from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia in Klang is targetted to commence operations by August 2020.

Meanwhile, Kuan added the company was not planning to raise funds at the moment to finance its projects, unless if there was an opportunity to acquire sizeable land bank. — Bernama