theSun | WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 11 2009
business
Scomi to earn RM120m from
monorail O&M MUMBAI: Scomi Engineering Bhd is
set to earn an additional RM120 million
in revenue when it begins the opera-
tions and maintenance (O&M) works
on the Mumbai monorail project, which
the company is currently building.
Working together with its consortium
partner Larsen & Toubro Ltd, the 19.5km
project, is expected to be completed by
2010. It will cost RM1.85 billion.
“We have a three-year, separate
O&M contract amounting to RM40
million annually. There is also an option
to renew for another two years.
“This is additional revenue for us,”
Scomi chief executive officer Shah
Hakim Shahzanim Zain told reporters.
AirAsia offers 500,000 free seats
KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia, the larg-
est low-cost carrier in Asia, is offering
500,000 free seats to holiday destinations
in Southeast Asia, China and Australia.
“This campaign is an important
impetus to boost tourist numbers and
spread the economic benefits brought
on by tourism,” its regional head of
commercial, Kathleen Tan, said in a
statement yesterday.
She said with the ongoing expan-
sion of its fleet, opening of new routes
and addition of flight frequency, AirAsia
Scomi would provide the design
and integration for the project, while
Larsen & Toubro would be responsible
for infrastructure construction, ticket-
ing and power supply. This is Scomi’s
maiden overseas project.
“Our ambition is to be a world
leader in this particular field. It will
enhance the company’s Malaysian
image and make us an international
brand,” Shah Hakim said.
Rating India as one of Scomi’s pri-
ority market, he said the company is
weighing project opportunities in other
highly populated cities like Ahemda-
bad, Bangalore, New Delhi, Pune and
Patna. – Bernama
is best positioned to cater to the grow-
ing interest in regional travel.
AirAsia’s newest promotion gives
away free seats to destinations like
Bali, Bangkok, Gold Coast, Haikou,
Hangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Hongkong,
Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Langkawi,
Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Melbourne,
Perth, Phuket, Shenzhen, Siem Reap,
Singapore and Yogyakarta.
The free seats are available for book-
ings made from Feb 10 to 15 for travel
from Oct 12, 2009, to Jan 31, 2010.
15
CIMB chief hails
mini-budget
KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Group chief executive Datuk
Seri Nazir Abdul Razak, who welcomes the govern-
ment’s decision on a mini-budget, said the government
should consider setting some direction in terms of
strategy under the current economic situation.
“Perhaps some incentives in certain direction and
measures will be useful in this climate,” he told report-
ers on the sidelines of Bank Negara Malaysia’s High
Level Conference 2009 here yesterday.
Nazir said the government’s plan to introduce a
mini-budget was a good move, being consistent with
the change in environment since the last stimulus
package.
“The mini-budget is an additional larger expenditure.
Beyond that, how to allocate it in an effective way
to stimulate the economy and make very important
decisions in terms of where the money should go,”
he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
last week announced that the cabinet had agreed for a
mini-budget to be tabled at the next Parliament sitting.
– Bernama