TRACKING RAIL DEAL

SUNWAY Construction Group Bhd is keen on bidding for the Phase 2 Klang Valley Double Tracking rail project. The government is reviewing the contract and will call for tenders again.

SUNWAY Construction Group Bhd (SunCon) is keen to put in its bid for Phase 2 of the Klang Valley Double Tracking (KVDT) project.

Managing director Chung Soo Kiong said the firm was definitely interested in bidding for the rail construction project.

“We’ll wait for the government to announce the submission date for the re-tender of KVDT phase 2 project ,” he said after the company’s shareholders meeting.

Phase 2 involves 110km of railway tracks from the Kuala Lumpur station to Klang, Salak South to Seremban and Simpang Port Klang to Port Klang.

Last week, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the project “for now, is a no-go” as there was no open tender.

The minister also highlighted that the costly RM5.9 billion project was awarded by the previous government to DMIA Engineering and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, just days before the 14th General Election.

Loke reportedly said the sevenyear completion period given to DMIA was too long.

The firm was also the contractor for Phase 1 of the project and work progress was behind schedule.

“A new tender will be called, but we cannot say how soon. Financially, the government has no means to support it, so we’ll have to find ways to go about it,” he said.

When asked about SunCon’s jobs at hand, Chung replied, “our order book of around RM6.4 billion should sustain us until 2021”.

To another query on replenishment, he said SunCon hoped to secure RM1.5 billion to RM2 billion of new contracts this year.

“We are putting in bids for various projects locally and overseas. We’re looking to re-enter India and win highway and railway upgrade jobs,” he added.