Malaysia (Commonwealth) _ Gamuda Bhd has been granted an RM3.45 billion design and construction contract in Taiwan for the Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Metropolitan Line (Yellow Line) Civil Engineering, Package YC01 (Package YC01).
Gamuda said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia that the contract was awarded under an unincorporated joint-venture structure with Taiwan-based company Asia World Engineering and Construction Co (Awec).
Gamuda completed its sixth infrastructure project in Taiwan. Awec’s main business is general civil construction with a focus on geotechnical, hydraulic, architectural, and civil engineering. The company’s total equity is RM114 million. Gamuda was chosen as the main contractor, with an 88% stake, while Awec has a 12% stake. This equates to an RM3.03bil portion of the contract value for Gamuda.
The company stated that the nine-year initiative will have a beneficial impact on its sales and earnings for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2024. The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) agency of the Taiwan Kaohsiung City government awarded the contract.
The project is a 4.4-kilometer railway track in NiaoSong District, with 3.5-kilometer underground twin dug tunnels (with three underground stations) and 0.9-kilometer raised tracks (with one elevated stop). The project is part of a large infrastructure program now ongoing in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, with the main purpose of expanding and improving the city’s public transit system inside the NiaoSong District.
According to Gamuda, the development seeks to build an efficient and contemporary mass rapid transit system to suit the ever-increasing demands of Kaohsiung’s metropolitan population. The Yellow Line is approximately 22.8km long and consists of a 21.9km subterranean part and a 0.9km elevated stretch, with a total of 23 stops.
The project is planned to serve 1.16 million people upon completion, boosting connectivity for more than 40% of the city’s entire population and further improving services in six critical districts – NiaoSong, SanMin, LingYa, XinXing, FengShan, and QianZhen.
Furthermore, as part of its environmental, social, and governance activities, Gamuda announced that eco-friendly materials and sustainable landscaping will be integrated into the project. This will be done while adhering to existing rules and regulations and guaranteeing the safety and accessibility of rural regions.
Package YC01 is Gamuda’s third railway project in Taiwan and its second in Kaohsiung. The firm constructed the Kaohsiung MRT Orange Line in 2008, and in 2022, the group obtained the RM2.13bil TaoYuan City Underground Railway Project (Package CJ18 PingZhen Commuter Station) in Taipei.
Gamuda is currently completing six infrastructure projects in Taiwan, including the Guantang Marine Bridge, the Taipei Port Seawall, and the 161kV Songshu to Guanfeng Underground Transmission Line.
Gamuda is one of Malaysia’s largest infrastructure companies, having completed numerous projects both locally and internationally, including the construction of Klang Valley MRT lines, highways, airport runways, railways, tunnels, water treatment plants, dams, infrastructure concessions, and the development of new townships.
On 6 October 1976, the firm was registered as a private limited company in Ipoh, Perak [2], and on 10 August 1992, it was listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia. Koon Yew Yin and Lin Yun Ling started it.
The Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART Tunnel) project, a 50:50 joint venture with MMC Corporation Berhad, was one of its key projects. The major function of this 9.7 kilometer SMART tunnel, which was completed in 2007, is to drain surplus floodwater from Sungai Klang and Sungai Ampang to a storage pond. This dual-purpose tunnel also provides an alternate route for motorists to and from the city center.
Malaysia, Qatar, Bahrain, India, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Australia are among the countries in which the Gamuda is operational. The headquarters of Gamuda are in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
