PARLIAMENT | The local contractors' involvement of 30 percent in the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) has already been set forth in its agreement, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department SK Devamany, said the priority for the offer tenders would be given to companies with the capabilities and technical know-how.

“The perception of total domination (by foreign contractors) in terms of works could be off-target,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat sitting in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was replying to a question from Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad (Amanah-Kuala Terengganu) who asked on the status of the ECRL project and the companies involved in the project.

Devamany said during an official visit by the Malaysian delegation to China in October last year, several matters were discussed and both governments reached an agreement that implementation of the ECRL would be on a government-to-government (G2G) project initiative between China and Malaysia.

The proposed implementation of the ECRL project was announced by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak when tabling Budget 2017 in October last year.

The project, stretching about 600 kilometres, would connect the Klang Valley with Kuantan, Pahang, up to Terengganu and Tumpat in Kelantan.

It is scheduled to begin in July and is expected to be completed in June 2024.

- Bernama