Kumpulan Perangsang likely to win Langat 2 job

PETALING JAYA: Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor Bhd (KPS) is the frontrunner for the project to build the Langat 2 reservoir and water treatment plant that will filter and chlorinate raw river water to be transferred from Pahang to Selangor.
Water Asset Management Co (Wamco) CEO Teo Yen Hua was reported as saying on Wednesday that the Pahang-Selangor inter-state water project would be open for tender in the second half year.
When the raw water is piped to Selangor, it would be stored and treated at the proposed Langat 2 facility, which would cost about RM2.5bil to construct, according to reports.
An analyst, who declined to be named, pointed out that Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said last month that no more water concessions would be given to the private sector and that state governments would lead the development of water supply projects.
In Selangor, the state-owned corporation engaged in this sector is KPS, the analyst said.
KPS executive chairman Datuk Abd Karim Munisar could not be reached for comment yesterday. The company is holding its AGM today.
The company’s direction is clear. It said in its mission statement that it aimed to be a leading integrated provider of infrastructure and utility services.
KPS subsidiary, Konsortium Abass Sdn Bhd, is the concessionaire for the Sungai Semenyih Water Supply Scheme and owns stakes in several associate companies engaged in the same sector.
A heads of agreement was, in fact, signed between KPS and the Selangor government in 2003, under which the former was appointed the main contractor for Langat 2.
That did not, however, amount to a contract award, which is still being awaited from the state government due to an earlier deferment of the inter-state project.
KPS is confident of being awarded Langat 2. In its latest annual report, managing director Datin Paduka Juma’ah Mokhtar said the company “remains a forerunner in securing participation in the much anticipated Langat 2 project which complements the Pahang-Selangor Interstate Raw Water Transfer Scheme.”
The inter-state scheme involves transferring water from rivers in Pahang through pipes to be laid under the Main Range through a 44.6km transfer tunnel to Selangor.
KPS had earlier said it had completed the engineering design and ground survey works for the Langat 2 project.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo told the media in March that the state had completed plans on aligning water pipes in Hulu Langat for the transfer of water from Pahang, and was working on the costing for the water treatment plant.
The state government, he added, was also negotiating with Pahang for the rates Selangor would have to pay for the raw water.