By Sharen Kaur
They said the consortium outbid YTL Corp Bhd-SIPP Rail Sdn Bhd, with both groups understood to be the only technically compliant bidders that advanced to the final stage, alongside an earlier consortium involving WCT Holdings Bhd-Lion Pacific Sdn Bhd.
The MMC-DOM consortium boasts participation from other strategic partners including Ancom Nylex Bhd, which is controlled by businessman Datuk Siew Ka Wei.
Meanwhile, according to a financial portal citing sources, the MMC-DOM consortium is expected to receive the letter of intent from the Public Private Partnership Unit under the Prime Minister's Office.
The project, which has been under evaluation for more than a year following a request for proposal issued on March 12 last year, is structured as a public-private partnership, with costs shared between the government and the concessionaire.
It is understood that the MMC-DOM proposal carries a longer concession period than YTL Corp-SIPP Rail's bid.
It is likely based on an automated people mover (APM) system, typically used for short-distance, closed-loop transport such as airport shuttle services.
MMC Corp did not immediately respond to Business Times queries.
In contrast, the YTL Corp–SIPP Rail bid is believed to be RM3 billion-RM4 billion cheaper than the MMC–DOM proposal, with a shorter concession period of around 10 to 12 years.
The proposal by YTL, which has been involved in the rail industry for over 30 years, is centred on the ART system designed for longer urban corridors.
Industry sources said ART is increasingly viewed as a more advanced and cost-efficient solution for city-scale transport.
"ART offers lower operations and maintenance costs, greater route flexibility, and stronger scalability. It is designed for longer-distance, high-capacity urban transport and will greatly benefit the rakyat as it is a reliable system," a source said.
By comparison, APM systems are typically suited for confined environments such as airports and short routes, said the source, adding that legacy APM systems, including those used at KLIA, had faced operational limitations.
The ART system is a trackless, electric, multi-articulated train-bus hybrid developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Institute.
It is positioned as a lower-cost alternative to conventional rail, offering faster construction timelines, higher passenger capacity, flexible routing and reduced congestion impact.
The system uses LiDAR sensors and cameras to follow a "virtual rail" mapped on road surfaces, enabling precise navigation without physical tracks.
Operating on rubber wheels, ART vehicles are typically 30 metres or longer and can carry between 300 and 500 passengers per unit.
They are powered by either electricity or hydrogen fuel cells, making them a lower-emission alternative to conventional rail systems.
First introduced in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, in 2017, the system has since been deployed or tested in multiple cities in China.
In Malaysia, pilot trials have taken place in Putrajaya and Johor, while a larger hydrogen-powered ART project is currently being developed in Kuching, Sarawak.
The ART project is expected to play a key role in easing congestion and improving urban connectivity in Johor, particularly as cross-border travel with Singapore continues to rise.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/05/1433198/jb-tram-job-awarded-rm10bil-watch
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