MRCB’s Penang monorail bid gets a boost

MRCB’s Penang monorail bid gets a boost

By DAVID TAN

PENANG: Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) is now on a firmer footing to bid for the monorail project on the island, with Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) joining its consortium.

With PPSB teaming up with MRCB, the latter’s chances of clinching the monorail contract had definitely increased, a source in the infrastructure industry said.

“PPSB was co-opted into the consortium because MRCB realised that a substantial portion of the land on which the monorail would be constructed belonged to PPSB,” the source told StarBiz.

Moreover, since PPSB has a better understanding of the traffic problems in Penang, it could help MRCB come up with a suitable monorail system.

Last year, when PPSB bid for the project as a separate entity, managing director Datuk Ahmad Ibnihajar had said the company had a better chance than others because it was based in Penang and understood the needs of the people.

The source said MRCB could also plan the monorail system to dovetail with the routes of the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project, which the company was keen on.

MRCB is believed to be negotiating a 70% stake in Peninsular Metro Works Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire of the PORR project.

The support from PPSB lends even more credence to MRCB’s portfolio as a competitor for the monorail project.

Other members of the MRCB consortium are MTrans Transportation Systems Sdn Bhd, which specialises in manufacture of urban buses and monorail transportation system, and Scomi Engineering Bhd, which owns a 51% stake in MTrans.

The rival bidders for the monorail project are MMC Metrail Sdn Bhd, Road Builder and Melewar group.

The Melewar group, with technical backing from Swiss and Russian partners, has submitted a RM1.6bil bid.

Phase one of the project is an 18km stretch from the Penang International Airport to the Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal. Phase two is from the ferry terminal to Paya Terubong, while the final phase is from Komtar to Tanjung Tokong.