Malaysian firms to assist in road building projects
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—The Pakistan government has agreed to offer Malaysian companies ring road construction jobs in Rawalpindi and Karachi worth US$55 million, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said here Tuesday.
He said the projects included the construction of elevated exchanges in both cities. “We have asked Pakistan’s Communications Minister Shamim Siddiqui to come to Kuala Lumpur to sign the agreements, and he has agreed,” he told Malaysian journalists who had covered Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s three-day official visit to Pakistan which ended Monday.
Samy Vellu said that during his talks with Shamim, he also expressed Malaysia’s interest in constructing a light rail transit (LRT) system in Karachi. He said Malaysia had submitted a conceptual report on the road construction project but the Pakistan government sought a US$55-million feasibility study. “We have informed them that we can prepare the study on condition that we are given the first right of refusal,” he said.
Samy Vellu said Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, who was informed of the matter at a delegation meeting at his residence last Sunday, agreed to grant the privilege to Malaysia. He said the study would be made on four sectors in Karachi before a report covering the cost of the project was made and submitted to the Pakistan government. Asked which Malaysian companies would undertake the project, Samy Vellu said shortlisting of the firms for the purpose had not been made.
He said a list of 12 Class A contractors in Kuala Lumpur has been submitted to Pakistan as a shortlist of contractors for projects in Pakistan financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). “They will bid for the ADB projects. This is at the request of Shaukat as he wants only experienced contractors to collaborate with their Pakistani counterparts when undertaking these projects,” he said. Samy Vellu said further discussions would be held with the Pakistan government in relation to its offer of the Khanewal-Faisalabad road construction project to Malaysian firms. “We have studied the privatisation project and found that it was not viable due to low traffic volume. Toll cannot be imposed as it will raise political and social problems,” he said.