Chow: No conflict of interest if PDP bids for work as everything is based on open tender

GEORGE TOWN: A conflict of interest does not arise if the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) project delivery partner (PDP) SRS Consortium bids for work packages under the RM27billion project.
State local government, traffic management and flood mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow (pix) said the PDP can do so as as the packages will be offered via open tender.
The PDP can win the bid if the technical requirements are met with the lowest price for that particular work package which can translate into cost savings, he added.

He said the state will then appoint another company to oversee the work conducted by the PDP for the work package which was won.

"They have to take part in the open tender, it is not a direct award," he told a press conference after attending a briefing of the PTMP given to representatives of the Japanese Embassy and Japanese companies in Penang.

Present at the briefing were Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Embassy of Japan Minister Yoshinori Kodama, Japan Consul-General Kiyoshi Itoi and representatives from 48 Japanese corporations.

The PTMP is an ambitious project to connect Penang island and the mainland with a network of highways, rail-based transport systems, buses and water taxis.

On the creation of special purpose vehicles (SPV) for PTMP, Chow said this was being considered for overseeing the operations of the proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) component.

He added the SPV would be a state statutory body tasked with ensuring the operations were smooth and setting the key
performance indicators (KPI), among other functions, but not involved with the day-to-day running.

He said SPV was to be modeled on the Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) which was setup to be the developer and asset owner of the MRT project.

On the progress of the PTMP, Chow said they were now waiting for the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) to reply to the application for the Bayan Lepas LRT railway scheme.

"It is favourable," he said when asked how the response was during a recent meeting between the PDP and SPAD
officers over the application and added a decision was expected late this month.