Malaysia Airports. Terbang Tunduk

is from Flyn Jamal' 2010 debut album Puisi Tepi Jalan. The question on my mind is who is going to be flying high TERBANG TUNDUK style in the on going happenings that plaques Malaysia Airports.

Bertahanlah, wahai raksa

Jangan kau terhenti

Berpautlah, wahai nyawa

Ini bukan mimpi

Saksikan dengan mata

Rasakan dengan jiwa

Kau sedang tinggi

Jauhnya kau terbang

The media, both formal and informal ones have have basically stated the following : 

1.MAHB called for a RM400 Million Automated People Mover (APM) tender in March 2020, and after the tender closed in November, it made amendments.

2.All 5 bids that came in was above RM600 million, and that Pestech RM750 million bid won it.

3.MAHB denies that it has asked international consulting firm to step aside

4.MAHB said to have returned bank drafts to unsuccessful bidders

Bursa Malaysia and MACC can settle this issue once and for all by asking Malaysia Airports if they have indeed return the bank drafts, and if so why no announcement yet on the winning bid. Then cross check with the failed bidders.

If indeed Pestech had won it,  good for them. My personal thought on this matter is, I am not surprised that all the bidders quoted RM600 million and above for a project the Airport operator had estimate to be only RM400 million.

This is 25 per cent more than MAHB's own estimate but the real cost could be well above RM750 million if one takes into account, the level of mayhem Covid 19 is cursing on Malaysia today as opposed to the level of threath it posed between March 2020 and November 2020.

If indeed MAHB wants the best bang for 

its money, the solution is simple. Call off the tender,  wait for Malaysia to reach the 80 per cent herd immunity, then wait another two months and only then call for a fresh tender.

You might not get a feasable quote at RM400 Million but it certainly won't be RM600 million or even RM750 million and the cost over runs that is bound to occur as the situation in Malaysia on November 2020 is different than on July 2021, but could get much better six months down the road.