'British bids judged on merit'

'British bids judged on merit'

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia would not award projects to British contractors on the strength of loans pledged by the British government, the Star newspaper reported yesterday.

Malaysia would not rely on the British for loans and any tenders made by British firms for future government projects would be "evaluated on merit without any consideration for loans," the daily reported Mahathir as saying.

"If there is no loan and the tender is attractive we will give them the project. But if the bid is not good, we will not give them the project," the Star quoted him as telling reporters late on Saturday.

Mahathir's comments followed Thursday's British court ruling that Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd acted unlawfully in authorizing 234 million sterling (US$376 million) in aid for the controversial Pergau dam project in Malaysia.