S’wak Metro awards joint venture company contract to supply hydrogen feeder buses

KUCHING (Oct 26): Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd (Sarawak Metro) awarded a contract for the supply of hydrogen-powered feeder buses to a joint venture company comprising SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd and Sun Credit Sdn Bhd.

Under this contract, they are entrusted to undertake the works of designing, engineering, procuring, manufacturing, supplying, installing, delivering, testing, commissioning and handing over 55 single-deck hydrogen fuel cell feeder buses, it said in a statement on Friday.

The contract, worth over RM122 million including options, will be executed over a period of 43 months.

The hydrogen-powered feeder buses will support the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system under the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project in providing the first and last mile connectivity.

A total of six tender submissions were received at the close of the tender exercise on July 26.

At the signing ceremony, Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Mazli Mustaffa signed on behalf of Sarawak Metro while the joint venture companies were represented by SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd director Muhamad Zaidi Toha and Sun Credit Sdn Bhd chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai.

SKS Coachbuilders Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dato Roy Soo and Sun Credit Sdn Bhd director Timothy Lim witnessed the ceremony.

“The award of this contract represents a significant step towards building a more reliable, convenient and eco-friendly public transport network in Kuching. To the JV company, let us work together towards this goal for the betterment of Sarawak’s public transportation system,” Mazli said.

Sarawak Metro, a subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), is tasked with the implementation, operation, and maintenance of the KUTS project, which is under the purview of Ministry of Transport Sarawak.