PETALING JAYA, May 28 — The government will continue to give preferential treatment to Bumiputera contractors for the East Coast Railway Line (ECRL) project, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the quota percentage has yet to be fixed, despite requests for it to be kept at 20 per cent.

"The system will also include the process for negotiated tender. That will still go on,” Dr Mahathir said at a press conference following Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s weekly meeting at its headquarters.

When asked if negotiated tenders will still be used in future mega projects, he said it would for "special cases and circumstances”.

"For example, if the company represents some of the operations that have already been set up,” Dr Mahathir said.

The Malaysian Bumiputera Contractors Association recently requested the government provide 20 per cent of the ECRL’s local work portion requirement to Bumiputera contractors, as it would be difficult to compete for related jobs or share it with other Malaysian companies.