Malaysian firm steps up infrastructure work in Sri Lanka

Picture shows Azmil Khalid (centre) with colleagues.

A top Malaysian conglomerate involved in construction and infrastructure development that has taken a majority stake in a Sri Lankan company is stepping up work on road development and housing projects here.

MTD Capital bhd recently bought out Kapila Heavy Equipments Public Ltd, and last week renamed the Colombo firm as MTD Walkers Public Ltd.

The company also has subsidiaries in MTD CML Construction Ltd and MTD Construction Ceylon Pvt Ltd, to handle housing and road development while MTD Walkers handles engineering tasks.

MTD Group Managing Director Azmil Khalid told shareholders of MTD Walkers Public Ltd in Colombo last week that it has submitted bids under the guidance of the Malaysian government to undertake construction work on the Colombo- Kandy Alternate Highway and the Colombo- Katunayake Expressway. Both are proposed highways running out of Colombo to key cities including the international airport complex. He said construction work on 25,000 housing units is now being carried out by the MTD CML Construction at an investment cost of over 2.7 billion rupees.

In addition MTD Walkers is presently marketing automated tea rollers locally and abroad in countries like India and Africa. These are technically advanced machines optimizing efficiency and enhancing greater profitability with minimum labour costs, he said.
MTD Capital acquired 90 percent of Kapila Heavy and also took over its management in June this year. It is now in the process of restructuring the institution. Plans are underway to rebuild the group’s new head office in Colombo whilst improving the working environment of its workshops and branches at Ratnapura, Bandarawela and Galle – all outside Colombo, Khalid said. The former Kapila Heavy has prime property in Colombo worth millions of rupees, the biggest asset of the company.

H. Channa Caldera, director of the renamed company, said that they are actively pursuing infrastructure projects like the Petroleum Oil Storage Tank for the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Sri Jayawardanepura- Kotte Municipal Council, Sri Lanka Telecom and the Dialog Telekom head office expansion.

He added that the group is also involved in local infrastructure and other development work for the Ministry of Irrigation and the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka and the construction of a steel bridge at Arugam Bay in the Eastern Province.