ALL projects under the Pakatan Harapan government will be done by open tender, including those with China, Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Ong Kian Ming said.

Ong said Malaysia will not discriminate based on company or country.

He said in the case of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), the project was awarded to the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) under the deal signed by the previous government.

“The unique thing about the ECRL is that it was already awarded to Chinese company, CCCC, and had already done a significant portion of the work.

“For other infrastructure projects in the future, we want to encourage all companies interested to make a bid for it. This will definitely include Chinese companies.

“We don’t discriminate between companies from any country nor do we express a preference for companies from one country over another,” Ong told reporters after a forum on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

CCCC is a joint-venture partner with Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd under the renegotiated terms of the ECRL project.

Ong said Chinese companies will have opportunities to enter joint-venture partnerships with Malaysian companies or with companies from other countries, as long as their bid was competitive.

He also said the PH government’s successful renegotiation of the project, which has brought costs down to RM44 billion for Phase 1 and 2 from the earlier RM65.5 billion, will now quell uncertainties among Chinese companies about investing in Malaysia.

“The ECRL was highlighted as one of the projects which many cited as an example of how Malaysia was pushing back against China… We are not pushing back, it is just a matter of policy adjustment and refinement.”

Today’s forum was held in the run up to the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing later this month, which Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to attend.

Ong said Dr Mahathir’s visit to China was significant as it would send a strong signal to other countries of Malaysia’s involvement and commitment to the BRI. – April 16, 2019.