FBMKLCI 1563.52 DJ-37.31 CRUDE OIL 89.37 RM 3.04

Jelas Unggul Sdn Bhd has failed to meet the deadline for placing the RM50mil deposit required by PLUS Expressways Bhd in its bid to undertake the latter's businesses, effectively leaving only one formal offer, that is by UEM Group Bhd (UEM) and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), on the table. Following Jelas Unggul's failure to pay the deposit, the only formal offer left on the table is a joint offer by UEM and EPF at RM4.60 per share which works out to RM23bil made on Oct 15.

Oil and gas firm SAAG Consolidated (M) saw its share price soar 28.5% amidst news its unit has secured a RM239.5m contract to design and build a 40km train tramway in Melaka. The company announced yesterday to Bursa Malaysia that its unit, OGS Asiapac Ltd, has secured a US$75m (RM239.5m) design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) contract from Mrails Tram (Melaka) SB on 23Dec.

Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd, via its wholly-owned subsidiary Aurabayu Sdn Bhd, have completed the signing of Aurabayu's syndicated Islamic financing facilities of up to RM750mil comprising ringgit Malaysia and US dollar denominated tranches. Maybank Investment acted as the mandated lead arranger and bookrunner. “The syndication received strong demand from both domestic and international banks, and closed with a total of six participating financiers,” the bank said in a statement yesterday.

Sapura Crest Petroleum and Kencana Petroleum are in the running to bag major oil and gas contracts for the development of marginal oil fields, expected to be announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at thebriefing on the progress of Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) today.

Ancom Logistic Bhd will resume trading from 9am  following the completion of its regularisation plan. The company's additional 209.50 million new shares issued following the acquisition of the entire stake in Synergy Translinik Sdn Bhd would be listed on Tuesday.

Transmile is selling four of its aircraft to Federal Express Corporation for US$68 million (RM208.8 million) which would enable it to reduce its debts by 39% to about RM320.1 million.The company said it had has signed a sale and purchase agreement with FedEx to sell four MD-11F aircraft for US$17 million (RM52.2 million) each to be satisfied entirely in cash.

Kumpulan Perangsang Selangor (KPS) has received the conditional offer by Menteri Besar Selangor Inc (MBI) to acquire all the voting shares in Konsortium Abass SB (Abass) and Syarikat Pengeluar Air Sungai Selangor SB (Splash) for RM9.39 per share and RM5.95 per share. Abass is 100%-owned by Titian Modal SB, which in turn is 55%-owned by KPS, while Splash is 30%-owned by KPS, with the remainder owned by Gamuda (40%)
and TSWA (30%).

Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) and Ekovest said they have not received any letter of award yet from the Government for a portion of the clean-up job for Klang River. Both companies said they will make the appropriate and timely announcements to Bursa Malaysia, with MRCB adding that the company constantly seeks new opportunities.

Proton Holdings has not ruled out the possibility that it is in talks with Indian automobile manufacturer Hindustan Motors to assemble its vehicles for the Indian market. “We are in talks with several parties in India. Right now, it's still too early to comment,” group managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir told StarBiz yesterday. He was responding to a report by The Times of India that Proton was close to tying up with Hindustan Motors for a contract manufacturing agreement to assemble its cars for the Indian market. When asked if Hindustan Motors was one of the parties that Proton was in talks with, Syed Zainal said: “I think that can be implied.” Hindustan Motors is known for its Ambassador car that is widely used as a taxi and government limousine.