KUB ... Sep11

Three private equity firms, including foreign ones, are "very" keen to partner KUB

Malaysia Bhd and acquire stakes in the A&W fast-food chain. The company is evaluating proposals from the firms and expects to announce its strategic partner by the year-end (2011).

There is no specific whether KUB wants to dispose of 49 per cent or more of its stake in A&W.

KUB is seeking partner or partners with good money and management skills.

Earlier reports said that KUB was willing to sell as much as 45 per cent of A&W stake to a strategic partner to take the business to greater heights.

KUB is the licensee of A&W in Thailand and Malaysia since 2002. It currently has 45 outlets in Malaysia and 43 in Thailand. It plans to increase the number to 100 each in Thailand and Malaysia by 2015.

KUB’s official denied that QSR Brands Bhd, the parent company of KFC Holdings (M) Bhd, had expressed interest in taking over A&W.

On the RM1.23 billion intra-city commuter train service network in Johor, the company would give an update on the project once it presents the proposal to the Economic Council.

It was reported that the Johor state government had given the approval for the intra-city commuter train service network project to Metropolitan Commuter Network Sdn Bhd (MCN),a joint-venture company between KUB and Malaysia Steel Works (KL) Bhd.

MCN had proposed to the fe-deral government the construction and operation of a rail transit network in Iskandar Malaysia in Johor, with services extending from Johor Baru Sentral to Woodlands, Singapore. The intra-city train service entails the building of seven stations and 16 halts connecting all major suburbs in Iskandar Malaysia, which covers south Johor.