MRT Corp awards RM1.44b viaduct work to AZRB unit

CIMB Research says contractors are beneficiaries of mega projects, such as the Mass Rapid Transit phases one, two and three, Pengerang and the high-speed rail linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR:  Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has awarded the first viaduct work package for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) Line to a unit of Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd.

It said on Friday the  work package V202 involved the viaduct guideway and other works for a 4.5km stretch of the SSP Line elevated guideway from Persiaran Dagang to Jinjang, Kuala Lumpur.

“The contract sum for the work package is RM1.44bil,” it said.

MRT Corp said the award was made following a One Stop Procurement Committee (OSPC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak. 

AZRB is currently a contractor for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) Line for work package V6. 

“As a result, it was pre-qualified to tender for viaduct work packages for the SSP Line. Work Package V202 was reserved for Bumiputera contractors,” it added. 

MRT Corp CEO Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar said it was a historic moment for the first major work package for the SSP Line to be awarded. 

“With this award, construction of the SSP Line is truly on the way,” he said, adding this was very significant being the first work package for the project was awarded to a Bumiputera company. 

“The Bumiputera participation target set by the Government was increased to 45% of the total value of all work packages for the SSP Line, up from 43% for the SBK Line,” he added.

So far, contracts awarded to Bumiputera contractors for the SBK Line were at 50%, surpassing the government's 43% target. 

Shahril said the successful tender was determined on a best evaluated tender basis, where the tender was evaluated on technical as well as commercial aspects. As such, the successful tender might not necessarily be the tender with the lowest price. 

“However, in this case, the successful tender had scored the highest in both areas, emerging best in the technical evaluation and having the lowest price among the three tenders received,” he said. 

MRT Corp will be issuing the letter of award to the successful contractor in the near future. 

The 52.2km SSP Line includes a 13.5km underground portion. It will have 37 stations, 11 of them underground stations. 

There are 66 work packages being tendered to build the SSP Line. They include 10 viaduct guideway packages, one underground works package, two depot work packages, 10 station work packages, and 15 multi-storey park and ride work packages.

The remaining tenders are for advance Works, connectivity, systems, designated suppliers and designated contractors.