MRT tunnelling job winner known by May 2012

(Published in the Star Biz 16th December 2011: page 3)

By CHOONG EN HAN

KOTA KEMUNING: The winning bid for the tunnelling portion of My Rapid Transit (MRT) is expected to be disclosed by April or May next year, after tender submissions close on Jan 31, said Gamuda Bhd managing director Datuk Lin Yun Ling.

“The authorities might take three to four months to evaluate the tenders and compare prices after the tenders are submitted.

“From what I have gathered from the news, companies from China, Japan and (South) Korea are also vying for the tunnelling portion of the project,” he said at the launch of the MMC-Gamuda Tunnelling Training Academy.

Lin told StarBiz that the tunnelling portion of the MRT was estimated to be worth RM7bil.

“Given the immense scope of underground works involved, the price, along with the right expertise and experience in tunnelling under the city-centre's karstic limestone geological formation, will be crucial to win the job,” he said.

Lin said the MMC-Gamuda consortium would try its best to come up with the most competitive proposal for the underground project, adding that there were far greater benefits if local contractors secured such projects at home.

“The use of local construction companies will ensure the maximum use of local talents.

“Furthermore, the provision of up to 130,000 job opportunities will create maximum opportunities and the right environment for locals to acquire new and higher skills, thus translqting to higher income,” he said.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was present at the launch, said he preferred a local party like MMC-Gamuda to get the contract, though he added the decision remained with the Government.

“If I had it my way, of course I would like to see the project awarded to a local company,” he said.

Mahathir said MMC-Gamuda which was involved in the SMART tunnel, the Penchala Link tunnel and the Kaohsiung MRT in Taiwan seemed to have the experience to back it up, and that the project offered a good opportunity for locals to acquire engineering knowledge in a field that was not normally available in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the RM10mil MMC-Gamuda Tunnelling Training Academy targets to train up to 1,000 professional and skilled workers for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line. It will also train additional workers for future lines that are part of the MRT master plan.