8 Submissions from Local and International Consortiums Received for the LRT Pre-Qualification Exercise

8 Submissions from Local and International Consortiums Received for the LRT Pre-Qualification Exercise

The Penang State Government is pleased to announce that the pre-qualification registration exercise for the Bayan Lepas Light Rail Transit (LRT) project which was conducted from 25 July to 19 August 2022 saw a total of forty-five companies registering interest and purchasing the pre-qualification documents.

The purpose of the pre-qualification exercise is to identify and pre-qualify suitable contractors to participate in the RFP (request for proposal) tender process for the engineering, procurement, construction, testing, and commissioning of the LRT’s viaducts, stations, depot, system, and other associated works, as well as the funding, operation, and maintenance of the LRT system.

For the pre-qualification stage, interested companies are required to submit their company profile, details of their key personnel, past and current projects, the contractual relationship of members in their respective consortiums or joint ventures, financial information, funding model, proposed implementation plan, and other supporting documents.

By the end of the submission deadline on 7 October 2022, we have received eight submissions from local and international consortiums.

Evaluation of the submissions is currently being carried out by technical and financial committees. A report will be prepared and presented to the tender committee followed by the procurement committee. The committees will identify qualified entities to be formally invited to participate in the request for proposal (RFP) exercise. The RFP tender is expected to open in early 2023.

The qualified entities will be given four (4) months to prepare their RFP proposals for submission. Thereafter, the evaluation of the received proposals is expected to take three (3) months, after which a report will be prepared for the tender and procurement committees for final decision.

It is expected that the construction of the LRT will be able begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to the federal authorities’ approval of the last segment of the LRT line involving the location of the LRT depot on the reclaimed Penang South Islands.

Based on feedback from the survey conducted during our on-going Penang Transport Master Plan roadshows held in various location since May 2022 to date, 98% out of 1,012 respondents are supportive of the project and many have expressed their eagerness for the LRT to be implemented soon.

It is important for the LRT to be an efficient and financially sustainable project. Despite various obstacles including the lack of financial assistance from the Federal Government, the Penang State Government is determined to push ahead to deliver the LRT as a reliable public transport system for the people of Penang.

Zairil Khir Johari
Penang State EXCO for Infrastructure and Transport