George Kent starts on LRT project

The company has started preliminary work on the Ampang Line extension project.

PETALING JAYA: George Kent Malaysia Bhd has started work on extending the Ampang Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) line, more than a week after it was officially given the project.

The company said that it had started prelimary work on the RM956-million project, and was negotiating with “specialist contractors” to handle certain highly technical parts of the line.

In a statement, George Kent’s executive director Cheong Thiam Fook said: “George Kent is now focused on building partnerships with reputable and recognised technology partners to ensure smooth and cost-effective construction of the line.”

He added that the project’s management team would be led by the company, which will drive the project with these specialist contractors.

“…There will be valuable and significant technology transfer to local contractors, namely through the implementation of the on-shore portion of the signalling technology, installation and inter-connection of the of power supply distribution to the third rail and construction of the ballast-less system for the track work,” Cheong said.

According to him, 70% of the team will be Malaysian, and that the company would be working together with the German-based technical consultant company Tewet Gmbh.

George Kent’s rail-building ability was questioned when PKR announced that the company, though losing through an open tender process, got the project anyway.

It was implied that the company’s bosses were closely linked to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

PKR also showed documents revealing that George Kent’s biggest project to date was worth less than RM40 million.

Rail was also a new area for the company, which until today, has concentrated on water transfer projects.

These accusations were rubbished by Cheong, who defended his company’s track record.

“We are not amused by comments questioning our financial capability and technical expertise.

“Let me state clearly that George Kent will lead the team, work with local partners where ever locals have the required expertise and international best-in-lcass technical partners for the highly technical and specialised work,” he said.

He added that the RM956 million amount was merely the project’s base contract sum, and that there were optionals that came to RM128.6 million.

Put together, Cheong said that the total was still within the “initial tender price”.

Previously, the company said that it was confident that it could complete the 17.7km project connecting the Sri Petaling station to Putra Heights in 44 months.