Infrastructure Weekly | 12 – 19 May 2025
Shah Alam’s new “sports city,” big-ticket MRT3 tenders, and a push for wildlife-friendly highways headline a pivotal week for Malaysian infrastructure.
From mega-stadiums to mega-tunnels, Malaysia’s project pipeline sprang to life over the past seven days. Selangor finally inked a RM2.94 b rebuilding contract for Shah Alam Stadium, MRT Corp rolled out the Circle Line’s first civil tenders, and eight heavyweight consortia jockeyed for Klang Valley’s next flood-mitigation tunnel. Meanwhile, the Works Ministry issued a landmark directive requiring wildlife crossings in every new federal highway, sending engineers back to the drawing board—literally. Across the Pacific, Colombia’s move to sign onto China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is ringing bells for Malaysian contractors hunting new markets.
Feature Story – Shah Alam Sports City Breaks Ground
After two decades of patch-work repairs, the 1994-vintage Shah Alam Stadium is coming down. On 16 May, Selangor awarded Lembaran Prospek Sdn Bhd (MRCB Land) a RM2.94 b design-and-build contract to transform the dilapidated complex into a 45 000-seat, Populous-designed arena with a retractable pitch, two training grounds, an indoor hall, lifestyle mall, hotels and a transit hub that plugs straight into LRT3.
Beyond sport, the master plan calls for 310 000 m² of public green space—botanical gardens, cycling tracks and shaded promenades—aimed at pushing Shah Alam toward its low-carbon-city target by 2030. Demolition of Stadium Malawati and ancillary buildings starts in June; full completion is slated for 2029. Once finished, Selangor officials expect the “Sports City” to act as a year-round civic anchor and catalyse transit-oriented redevelopment along the LRT3 corridor.
On the Ground – Project Snapshots
MRT3 Circle Line tenders hit the street – MRT Corp opened briefings for three main civil & depot packages worth ~RM31 b. Bidders must self-finance 10 % of early works—a policy favouring large balance-sheet players such as Gamuda, IJM and MMC.
Klang flood mega-tunnel race – Eight consortia have lodged rival proposals for a West Klang Valley flood-mitigation scheme (nicknamed SMART 2) ranging from RM5 b to RM15 b, including a 22 km dual-purpose tunnel and river-capacity upgrades; the federal review panel met on 18 May.
Monorail accessibility upgrade – By 18 May, eight new lifts went live at five Kuala Lumpur Monorail stations, part of Rapid KL’s programme to retrofit legacy assets for universal access; daily ridership topped 57 000 in 2024, up 8 % year-on-year.
MEX II revival – The Works Ministry confirmed talks to restart the stalled 18 km MEX II expressway to KLIA, working with MOF and JKR to resolve financing hurdles and land issues; a recovery roadmap is due by Q3 2025.
Policy Watch
Wildlife Crossings Mandate (13 May) – In response to a fatal elephant-calf accident, the Works Ministry directed that eco-ducts or wildlife tunnels be integrated into every new federal road and highway. Design coordination with Perhilitan is now compulsory at feasibility stage, and the West Coast Expressway underpass has been flagged as the benchmark standard.
New PPP & Financing Rules for MRT3 – Tender documents require main civil contractors to bankroll at least 10 % of construction costs for the first 24 months before government reimbursement—effectively shifting early-stage risk to the private sector and signalling a broader pivot toward “finance-first” procurement on big rail jobs.
International Perspective – Colombia Joins the BRI
On 12 May, President Gustavo Petro announced that Colombia will sign onto China’s Belt & Road Initiative, targeting Chinese financing for AI infrastructure and youth employment schemes. For Malaysian EPC firms already competing along BRI corridors, Latin America’s entry could open JV opportunities in port, rail and renewable projects—or intensify the global scramble for Chinese capital and expertise.
Next Steps
Shah Alam mobilisation – Site fencing and demolition works begin mid-June; watch for MRCB’s subcontract tenders on earthworks and utilities.
MRT3 timeline – Civil package bids close late June; shortlist and possible consortium alliances should crystallise soon after.
Flood-tunnel decision – The Environment Ministry targets early June to announce the preferred Klang flood-mitigation concept (tunnel vs. river widening).
Draft wildlife-crossing geometry guidelines from KKR/Perhilitan are expected by month-end—highway designers should align drawings quickly.
Catch you next week with the latest moves shaping Malaysia’s built environment.