The government will not overlook the interest of bumiputera contractors and will allow them to obtain contracts via special tenders.

Second Finance Minister Mohamed Yackop told the Dewan Rakyat today that the government's open tender system did not mean the sidelining of bumiputera contractors.

"Not all projects are tendered through the open system, some are through special tenders for bumiputera contractors," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

The minister was responding to a question from Alexander Nanta Linggi (BN-Kapit).

No reviews

To an earlier question from Alexander Nanta, Nor Mohamed said the government had no plans to review contracts offered to and signed with private companies.

He said before awarding any project to a company, the government had undertaken a detailed study which covered the market price and value of the respective contract.

Nor Mohamed said the study also included the company's financial standing, track record and its capability to complete the project on schedule.

To a question from Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang on whether there will be a review on the electrified double-tracking railway project in terms of implementation and the company awarded the contract, the minister said the government only reviewed the project in terms of the socio-economic aspect.

"There is no plan to revive it (the project), it is still postponed and there is no time frame," he added.

The RM14.5 billion double-tracking project, part of the Trans-Asia railway line from Singapore to Kunming in China, was to run from Ipoh to Padang Besar and from Seremban to Johor Baharu.

In January this year, the government decided to postpone the project as it wanted to give priority to socio-economic projects under the Eighth Malaysia Plan.