This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on December 6, 2017

KUALA LUMPUR: About RM60 million worth of small contracts in the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT3) project will be made available to bumiputera contractors, said Prasarana Malaysia Bhd.

The contracts will be for 120 smaller work packages, which the LRT3 main work package contractors are required to allocate to bumiputera contractors CIDB grade G2 to G4.

The G2-G4 grading refers to small and medium enterprises, which are allowed to tender for projects worth not exceeding RM500,000 (G2), not exceeding RM1 million (G3) and not exceeding RM3 million (G4).

“The work packages will comprise, but are not limited to, areas such as surface works, mechanical and engineering works, concrete works, external architectural works and interior fittings out works,” said Prasarana in a statement yesterday.

The public transport operator is inviting qualified contractors to participate in the pre-qualification briefing session on LRT3 work packages at Menara UOA Bangsar tomorrow.

Prasarana Rail and Infrastructure Projects Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Khairani Mohamed said an estimated 45% of contracts have been set aside to be awarded to bumiputera companies to ensure they can equally contribute their expertise to LRT3.

“We would like to encourage bumiputera companies to leverage on this final opportunity to work alongside established multinational companies in the industry to develop [the] Klang Valley’s next new rail, and thereby develop our home-grown expertise,” he said.