13 consortia vie for new airport project

13 consortia vie for new airport project

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Thirteen consortia made up of 15 foreign
and 39 local firms, including an Indonesian company, have bid for
another major contract at Malaysia's second international airport
project, officials have announced.

Two French firms and others from Germany, South Korea, Japan,
Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are in Malaysian-led groups
shortlisted, said Jamilus Hussein, managing director of the Kuala
Lumpur International Airport Bhd. (KLIAB).

The deal to build an international departure and arrival
terminal for the new airport is to be awarded at the end of
February.

This is the second largest of the 54 remaining contracts at
the new nine-billion ringgit (US$3.6 billion) airport at Sepang,
50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the capital.

The new airport is Malaysia's largest infrastructure project
and is partly financed by a $640-million soft loan from Japan.

Officials said the lowest bid of 556 million ringgit ($222.4
million) came from a Malaysian-Japanese consortium led by listed
UEM (M) Bhd. with Japanese partners Takenaka Corp., Sato Kogyo
Co. Ltd. and Mitsui Co. Ltd.

Malaysian companies Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd. and Ho Hup
Construction Co. Bhd., both listed on the local bourse, were also
part of the consortium.

Citra

A group comprising Malaysian-based Citra Muda Sdn. Bhd.,
Binaan Setegap Sdn. Bhd. and Readybuilt Sdn. Bhd. as well as
Indonesian partner Konsortium Citra Kontraktor Nusantara
submitted the highest tender of 829.2 million ringgit ($331.7
million).

Among leading listed Malaysian firms in the running are
Malaysia Resources Corp. Bhd. which partnered French company SAE
International and others, Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd., which
teamed up with Japanese-based Tokyu Construction Co. Ltd. and Nam
Fatt Bhd., which led French firm Technip among others.

KLIAB had stipulated that the bids must come from groups with
at least 70 percent local equity.

Among the other foreign firms in the running are German-based
Hoctief Aktiengesellschaft and Australian-based Leighton
Contractors, which have teamed up with local partners.

South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd.,
Daewoo Corporation and Sangyong Engineering and Construction Co.
Ltd. and Japanese Obayashi Corporation are among the others.

The biggest package for the Sepang project was awarded early
last month to a consortium led by Malaysia's Pernas Engineering
and Construction (Perspec) Sdn. Bhd. and Japan's Taisei Corp.

The Perspec group, which also included Japan's Kajima Corp.,
Shimuzu Corp. and Hazama Corp., clinched the deal to build the
main terminal building, contact pier and baggage handling system
on a tender price of 1.741 billion ringgit.

Officials said five packages to build two runways and aircraft
parking areas would be tendered out next.