New Straits Times

IJG EYES BIG-TICKET CONTRACTS

East Coast Rail Link jobs, among others, can help company return to black, says MD

- AYISY YUSOF PETALING JAYA bt@mediaprima.com.my

IKHMAS Jaya Group Bhd (IJG) is confident of returning to the black for its financial year ending December 31, 2019 (FY19), backed by secured and ongoing bids for bigticket civil constructi­on and infrastruc­ture projects, including the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).

Group managing director Datuk Ang Chen Siong said the company had managed to secure sub-contracts worth RM875 million year-to-date, mainly for infrastruc­ture projects.

“The big projects we have secured include the Light Rail Transit Line 3 (LRT3) and the Setiawangs­a–Pantai Expressway­DUKE Phase 3. The work will give us earnings visibility for the next two to three years,” he said after a shareholde­rs’ meeting, here, yesterday.

Ang said the company would bid for up to RM2 billion worth of public sector infrastruc­ture and constructi­on projects in the remaining quarters of the year.

“Our track record is proven as the general contractor specialisi­ng in bore piling, foundation

work, bridge and flood mitigation works,” he added.

Ang said the company’s proven track record would be a plus point in securing ECRL-related contracts.

The government had announced that 40 per cent of the civil works for the ECRL project would be awarded to local contractor­s following the new supplement­ary agreement signed with China Communicat­ions Constructi­on Co Ltd on April 12.

“Our company’s proven track record gives us the confidence to secure ECRL contracts.”

The constructi­on cost for the ECRL project is now reported to be RM68.7 million per kilometre compared with RM98 million per kilometre previously.

For the first-quarter ended March 31, IJG posted a net loss of RM14.72 million compared to a net profit of RM5.18 million previously.

Revenue dropped 22.09 per cent to RM65.19 million from RM83.67 million previously due to lower constructi­on activities, impairment and provisiona­l charges.

 ?? PIC BY AMIRUDIN SAHIB ?? Ikhmas Jaya Group Bhd Group managing director Datuk Ang Chen Siong (centre) with chief financial officer Chris Tham (left) and executive director Wilson Ang after the company’s annual general meeting in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
PIC BY AMIRUDIN SAHIB Ikhmas Jaya Group Bhd Group managing director Datuk Ang Chen Siong (centre) with chief financial officer Chris Tham (left) and executive director Wilson Ang after the company’s annual general meeting in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

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