Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has awarded a RM1.01 billion work package for trackworks, maintenance vehicles and work trains for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) Line to CCCC-George Kent joint-venture (JV).

The joint venture is made up of China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) and George Kent (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd with each holding 51 and 49 percent equity, respectively, it said in a statement today.

The work package was awarded after a meeting by the One-Stop Procurement Committee chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

MRT Corp CEO Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar said the work package was one of the major portion of the construction of the SSP Line.

"CCCC comes with very good technical know-how, having handled many infrastructure projects including railway construction.

"Its joint-venture with Malaysian company George Kent, which now has a strong presence in the railway industry in Malaysia, allows the MRT project to benefit from the experience of these two very strong companies," he said.

Touching on the tender evaluation process, Shahril said the joint venture company, which was one of seven tenderers, fared very well in the technical portion of the evaluation.

Among the criteria for technical evaluation was compliance with specifications stipulated by MRT Corp, proposed solutions, performance level, track record, work programmes and compliance with key dates, project execution plan, maintenance plan, quality, as well as, site safety, health and environment assurance.

Shahril said under the SSP Line, all systems work package contractors would have to ensure that 35 per cent of the work is awarded to Bumiputera companies.

"This is an increase from the systems contracts for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line where it was 30 percent," he said.

To-date, MRT Corp had awarded a total of 22 work packages for the construction of the SSP Line comprising eight advance work packages, four viaduct packages, one underground works package, six systems work packages, two designated supplier work packages and one depot work package.