Malaysian company in $6.1 billion railway deal in Laos

KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS) - A little known Malaysian company, Giant Consolidated, has won a US$5 billion (S$6.1 billion) deal to build a 220km rail link in Laos, a spokesman for the Prime Minister's department confirmed on Monday.

Malaysia's prime minister, Najib Razak, on a working visit to Laos, is scheduled to witness the signing ceremony between the Malaysian firm and the Laotian government in Vientiane on Monday, the spokesman added.

Giant Consolidated, a unit of Giant Group, will build an electrified double-track standard gauge railway from Savannakhet to Lao Bao, near the country's border with Vietnam.

No further details were available and company officials could not be reached for comment.