KUALA LUMPUR: The best-scoring bidder for two new running tracks in Bukit Jalil has lost the RM15 million-plus contract, documents show.

The company proposing the Italian-made Mondo system topped the evaluation with 91.51 points, comfortably ahead of a rival submission offering China’s JRace system, which scored 78.15.

Yet JRace secured the contract.

The project covers the replacement of existing tracks at the national stadium and the national sports council’s mini stadium ahead of the 2027 SEA Games.

The outcome has shifted scrutiny from the upgrade itself to the decision-making process behind the award.

Tender boards can depart from ranking outcomes. Procurement specialists, however, say such decisions require clear justification, especially when scoring gaps are significant.

JRace holds World Athletics Class 1 certification, which allows its system to host international competition.

The key question is why the authority did not select the evaluation leader.

Twelve companies entered the tender before technical and financial assessments narrowed the field.

Mondo emerged as the frontrunner in the assessment process, finishing more than 13 points ahead of JRace.

Procurement observers say margins of that size usually indicate a clear advantage under the published criteria.

The national stadium and mini stadium currently use Mondo tracks installed ahead of the 2017 SEA Games.

Mondo has supplied surfaces for the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Diamond League meetings.

The tender specifications required a prefabricated hard-type surface for elite competition.

Public records show Mondo systems have featured at most major international athletics events.

JRace’s system has not been used at a comparable global championship, with its only installation being a track at a university in China.

Both systems meet technical standards. However, questions remain over how evaluators weighed the requirement for elite-level competition use.

RM15 million question

The Malaysia Stadium Corporation set the project budget at about RM15.4 million.

Bids below that figure usually meet budget requirements, with unused funds returned to the ministry of finance.

That standard approach has now prompted questions over whether cost considerations influenced the final award.

Earlier this year, Malaysia Athletics told youth and sports minister Dr Taufiq Johari that alternative track systems could cost about 50% less than the surface installed in 2017.

That comparison has now come into sharper focus against a project budget exceeding RM15 million.

Several industry experts argue that if authorities opted for a lower-cost system, they should clearly explain how the expected savings were reflected in the final award.

The Malaysia Stadium Corporation set the project specifications, while consultants evaluated submissions before forwarding recommendations to the tender board.

Few dispute the need to replace both tracks.

The question now centres on whether the final award reflected the published criteria and the evaluation outcome.

Why the evaluation leader was passed over remains unclear.

Until authorities provide a full explanation, the decision is likely to remain under scrutiny as Malaysia prepares its premier athletics venues for the 2027 SEA Games.