KUALA LUMPUR, 9 Jan - Protasco Bhd is in the final stages of discussion with the Syrian government to undertake the upgrading of the Damascus Ring Highway in Syria valued at 283.8mil euros (RM1.37bil).

Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed said yesterday that Protasco's unit HCM Engineering Sdn Bhd had recently conducted a feasibility study and was in the final stage of discussion for the proposed upgrading of the highway.

"We are hoping for a favourable reply from the Syrian government," he told reporters after the Malaysian Construction Industry exhibition. He had earlier briefed the Prime Minister of Syria Mohammad Naji al-Otri who is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia.

Mohd Zin said Protasco was among the Malaysian construction players looking to expand their overseas market in Syria. Protasco is also involved in another proposed project to design and build a multi-storey car park and road tunnel worth 110.75mil euros (RM530mil).

Weida Bhd is also planning to undertake two projects in that country. The first is to design and build a water recyling plant as well as industrial wastewater treatment plant for industrial city of Adr in Syria valued at 68mil euros.

"Weida also plans to design and build 40mil euros sewage treatment plant there," Mohd Zin said.
He also said Scomi Group Bhd was in preliminary talks for the Damascus monorail system project. "We expect some of these projects to take off within this year," he said.

Currently, Malaysian companies involved in Syria include Muhibbah Engineering (M) Bhd and KLIA Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd. Muhibbah is the design and build contractor for the upgrading of Damascus International Airport and the project is valued at 40.6mil euros (RM0.2bil).
Renexus-Weida Sdn Bhd is involved in sewage and waste treatment plants for Damascus valued at 60mil euros.

On Malaysian construction companies' operations overseas, he said these companies had built their track record and their expertise in 464 projects worth RM97.6bil. Malaysian companies were also in the midst of completing 103 projects overseas valued at RM70.5bil.

Asked to comment on whether the economic slowdown had impacted Malaysian companies in the Middle-East, Mohd Zin said apart for WCT Bhd's contract cancellation in Dubai, he had not received reports of any other project contract cancellations.