{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1357891,
        "msgid": "malaysian-pm-says-indian-chinese-bids-for-rail-project-still-1447899208",
        "date": "2003-08-25 00:00:00",
        "title": "Malaysian PM says Indian, Chinese bids for rail project still ",
        "author": null,
        "source": "AFP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Malaysian PM says Indian, Chinese bids for rail project still high: reports Agence France-Presse Kuala Lumpur Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has urged contractors from India and China to lower their bids for a multibillion-dollar railway project in Malaysia, newspapers said on Sunday. Mahathir said the double tracking railway project, part of an ambitious trans-Asia link from Singapore to China, remained open to them if they would accept a more reasonable value, the New Sunday Times reported.",
        "content": "<p>Malaysian PM says Indian, Chinese bids for rail project still <br>\nhigh: reports<\/p>\n<p>Agence France-Presse<br>\nKuala Lumpur<\/p>\n<p>Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has urged contractors from India <br>\nand China to lower their bids for a multibillion-dollar railway <br>\nproject in Malaysia, newspapers said on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>Mahathir said the double tracking railway project, part of an <br>\nambitious trans-Asia link from Singapore to China, remained open <br>\nto them if they would accept a more reasonable value, the New <br>\nSunday Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>\"Their initial quotation was 42 billion ringgit (US$11 <br>\nbillion). When we said it was too high, they reduced it to 24 <br>\nbillion ringgit,\" the paper quoted the premier as saying.<\/p>\n<p>Mahathir said the willingness to reduce the contract value by <br>\n43 percent was an indication they had overpriced it.<\/p>\n<p>The project was promised to Indian Railway Construction <br>\nCompany (IRCON) and a consortium led by China Railway Engineering <br>\nCorp.<\/p>\n<p>It was part of the government-to-government initiative which <br>\nincludes a barter deal to increase exports of palmoil to India <br>\nand China.<\/p>\n<p>Mahathir said the government could not pursue the project if <br>\nthe cost were not lowered.<\/p>\n<p>\"Even at 24 billion ringgit, it is still too high. The people <br>\nwho build the project must make the price more reasonable,\" he <br>\nwas quoted as saying in the Sunday Star newspaper.<\/p>\n<p>IRCON was to undertake the double tracking and electrification <br>\nworks for the northern region which spans 338.8 kilometers (212 <br>\nmiles) from Ipoh to Padang Besar, which border Thailand.<\/p>\n<p>China Railway would build the 297 kilometer southern link from <br>\nSeremban to Johor, which neighbors Singapore.<\/p>\n<p>Mahathir said the government had conducted a study on the cost <br>\nand found it could be reduced considerably.<\/p>\n<p>Malaysia signed letters of intent with the Indian and Chinese <br>\nfirms last year.<\/p>\n<p>The rail project has also attracted local bids, including one <br>\nfrom the MMC-Gamuda Bhd consortium led by tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-<br>\nBukhary.<\/p>\n<p>The newspaper said Syed Mokhtar was ready to undertake the <br>\nproject for 14 billion ringgit.<\/p>\n<p>Asked about that bid, Mahathir said: \"If he can do it, why <br>\nnot.\"<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysian-pm-says-indian-chinese-bids-for-rail-project-still-1447899208",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}