Leighton Asia Awarded A$190 million Worth of new Projects in Malaysia

Leighton Contractors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Leighton Asia Limited, has been awarded three new projects worth a total of A$190 million related to a new coal-fired power station at Manjung in the state of Perak, Malaysia.

"In the past six months we have won around A$600 million worth of new work in Malaysia and for the first time in the company’s history a country other than Hong Kong is providing the largest component of our current workload," Mr Faulkner said.

"Our success in Malaysia has pushed our work in hand to A$1.24 billion (HK$5.6 billion), a record for the company that significantly exceeds pre-Asian crisis work in hand levels," he said.

The largest of the new projects is a A$145 million contract for the design and construction of a coal offloading jetty, including a 2 kilometre approach trestle, a 540 metre ship berth, two coal unloaders and the associated conveyor system, for Lekir Bulk Terminal Sdn Bhd. Construction will commence in June 2000 and will be completed by September 2002.

Alstom Export Sdn Bhd - who earlier this year awarded Leighton a $105 million contract for the main civil works for the same power station – has exercised an option to construct the cooling water intake works, providing Leighton with an additional A$30 million of work. Under the option, Leighton will design and construct an offshore cooling water intake structure comprising a single reinforced concrete culvert with three 1.4km long cells. Work will commence in June and be completed in August next year.

Leighton has also been awarded the contract for the design and construction of the coal stockyard by Koch Transporttechnik GmbH. The A$15 million project consists of civil works for the coal stackers and conveyors and includes earthworks, foundations, drainage and associated buildings. Work will commence on site in early June and will be completed in August 2002.

Leighton Asia’s Managing Director, Mr John Faulkner, said the new contracts reflected the continued resurgence of Asia, particularly Malaysia.

"The increasing demand for energy throughout Asia should lead to further opportunities for us in the construction of power stations, particularly in Malaysia and the Philippines," he said.

ENDS.

For further information, please contact:

In Hong Kong
Chris Gordon
Corporate Communications Manager
Leighton Asia Limited
Phone: (852) 2823 1493
Mobile: (852) 9092 0827

In Australia
Justin Grogan
Manager, Investor and Media Relations
Leighton Holdings Limited
Phone: (02) 9925 6628
Mobile: 0401 146 620