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- Designated as Package CMC2, the tender is open to Malaysian contractors as well as foreign contractors, which must form a joint venture or consortium with Malaysian contractors holding at least 50% equity.
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 14): Malaysia Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has launched a series of tenders and expressions of interest (EOI) for the Penang Light Rail Transit (LRT) Mutiara Line, inviting bids from qualified local and international contractors as the project enters its implementation phase.
The company’s wholly-owned subsidiary MRT Mutiara Sdn Bhd, in a tender notice published on Monday, called for submissions for the main civil works package involving the construction of the sea crossing viaduct, which includes navigational spans, an elevated station and associated works connecting Macallum on Penang island to Penang Sentral in Butterworth.
Designated as Package CMC2, the tender is open to Malaysian contractors as well as foreign contractors, which must form a joint venture or consortium with Malaysian contractors holding at least 50% equity.
Eligible bidders must have proven experience in large-scale civil infrastructure and bridge projects, including at least one cable-stayed viaduct with a main span exceeding 300 metres, civil infrastructure projects with a cumulative contract value of at least RM500 million, as well as railway infrastructure experience.
Financially, contractors must show shareholders’ funds of at least RM100 million, a positive cumulative Ebitda over the past five years, and unutilised credit facilities of no less than RM150 million.
MRT Corp said a tender briefing will be held on Nov 5 in George Town, with tender documents available for purchase from Nov 6 to Dec 5. The submission deadline is set for April 2, 2026.
At the same time, MRT Mutiara has also issued EOIs for Bumiputera contractors in the G1 to G4 categories registered with the Construction Industry Development Board and Pusat Khidmat Kontraktor.
The G1 and G2 EOIs are open to contractors based in Penang, while the G3 and G4 EOIs extend eligibility to firms registered in Penang, Kedah, Perak and Perlis. The registration period runs from Nov 3 to Nov 28, with submissions to be made at MRT Mutiara’s office in Menara Northam, George Town.
These EOIs are intended to identify qualified small and mid-sized Bumiputera contractors for supporting and sub-contracting roles under the LRT Mutiara Line project. MRT Corp emphasised that participation in the EOI exercise does not guarantee tender invitations, as it serves purely as a pre-qualification and screening process.
MRT Corp chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim had previously said in July that the company was targeting to launch the tender for the bridge portion of the Penang LRT project in October, following completion of the design stage.
He said that the bridge is designed to accommodate maritime navigation and future port expansion at Butterworth, with safety features such as fencing and a pedestrian walkway linking Butterworth and Komtar.
The structure is expected to be 62 metres above sea level, which is higher than the first Penang Bridge.
The federal government had in August approved a higher project ceiling of RM16.8 billion for the LRT Mutiara Line. MRT Corp said the revised ceiling accounts for higher land acquisition expenses and additional works at Macallum and Silicon Island, and that the final project cost will depend on the outcomes of ongoing open tenders.
The 29.5km LRT Mutiara Line will comprise 21 stations linking Penang island and Seberang Perai. Initially estimated at RM10 billion in 2016 for the Bayan Lepas alignment from Silicon Island to Komtar, the project’s scope was expanded after the federal government took over and extended the line to between Macallum and Penang Sentral, raising the total cost projection to RM13 billion in early 2024.
In January, the government awarded the first of three work packages—covering a 24km stretch from Komtar to Island A of the Penang South Reclamation project, with 19 stations—to SRS Consortium, led by Gamuda Bhd (KL:GAMUDA) with a 60% stake, while Loh Phoy Yen Holdings Sdn Bhd and Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd each hold 20%.
Following a value management exercise in April, MRT Corp said the contract sum for this first package was reduced to RM7.93 billion.
As Penang girds itself towards the last lap of its Penang2030 vision, check out how the residential segment is keeping pace in EdgeProp’s special report: PENANG Investing Towards 2030.
