Over 700 local and foreign industry players attend KL-Singapore HSR briefing

• The global industry players were from the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, mainland China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, said MyHSR in a statement.

KUALA LUMPUR (July 27):  The  Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (KL-SG HSR) request for information (RFI) briefing on Thursday (July 27) attracted over 700 representatives from local and international companies, as well as foreign missions, said MyHSR Corp Sdn Bhd.

The global industry players were from the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, mainland China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, said MyHSR in a statement.

It said the briefing provided an overview of the RFI process, including the timeline for local and international firms and consortia to submit concept proposals for the KL-SG HSR project based on a public-private partnership model.

The submission of RFI documents will be from Aug 11 until Nov 15.

“The project structure would be based on the design-finance-build-operate-transfer (DFBOT) model, and participating firms and consortia must demonstrate the ability to develop this project with a proven track record, technical expertise, resources, and project management capabilities in order to complete this major infrastructure development within the budgeted cost, quality, and time,” said MyHSR.

Its chairman Datuk Seri Fauzi Abdul Rahman (pictured) said the briefing marks an important step in bringing the project to reality, in line with the government's aspirations.

“The briefing provided interested companies with the relevant information such as the key components, submission requirements, and evaluation criteria for them to prepare and deliver a comprehensive concept proposal,” said Fauzi.

He said participating firms and consortia must demonstrate their ability to sustainably build and operate the HSR services with realistic commercial expectations, including but not limited to demand estimation, cost optimisation, revenue diversification, and financial projections.

Firms must also have the ability to raise the required funding from diverse sources and develop a financially sustainable model that minimises reliance on government funding while ensuring successful project implementation and operation.

“We are optimistic that the KL-SG HSR project is more than just a transportation solution. It will form the major backbone between the Klang Valley and the southern corridor of Peninsular Malaysia, spurring developments of key economic centres, intermediates cities, high-value industrial parks, and many more,” he said.

According to Fauzi, the project will boost the Malaysian construction sector and support the ecosystem while creating high-value jobs and generating business opportunities for small to large-scale enterprises.

Meanwhile, MyHSR chief executive officer Datuk Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal said the group is looking forward to receiving high-quality proposals that align with national and regional development plans.

“Participating firms or consortia should include a clear vision and plan that will leverage on the rail connectivity to boost economic growth while ensuring that the sustainability and low-carbon aspects of the system are incorporated," he said.