Sharifah Sazita bt Syed Hamzah

Sharifah Sazita Hamza

Head of PPP

sharifah.hamzah@whitepencil.net

Sharifah has over 33 years of experience in projects. Sharifah focuses on PPP, EPCC, privatisation projects, construction & engineering and infrastructure projects. 

Sharifah has particular expertise in dealing with utilities and major infrastructure projects including expressways, bridges, airports, ports, marinas, solid waste treatment facilities, transmission lines, property development, and hospitals. 

She has advised clients on construction, privatisation and PPP projects in Qatar and other parts of South East Asia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Oman, Dubai, Iraq and Jordan.  

Representative Experience

  • Advised EPIC contractor on their claims and dispute amounting to over QR1 billion, relating to a major delay in completion of works in relation to an oil and gas project.
  • Advised contractor and operator on contractual issues arising out of the Engineering, Procurement, Installation and Commissioning contract relating to the design, construction, completion and maintenance of a Sewage Treatment Plant and the provision of Cleaning Services and Waste Treatment in Qatar. 
  • Provided legal advice on decennial liability for structural defects appearing in massive concrete blocks placed under seawater which was caused by an unexpected condition called “Delayed Ettringite Formation (“DEF”)”.
  • Participated and advised contractor in a mediation proceedings involving construction claims amounting to approximately QR1 billion.
  • Advised the concessionaire on a concession (build operate and transfer) for a Marina Project in Qatar.
  • Advised several nominated subcontractors, subcontractors and main contractors on their respective contractual rights and obligations in their respective contract packages in the Hamad International Airport project. 
  • Advised several nominated subcontractors on their respective subcontracts in Muscat International Airport project.
  • Provided legal advice to the main contractor who was awarded a contract to design and build one of the largest aircraft maintenance hangars in the world.
  • Advised Subang Skypark on the establishment of a Regional General and Corporate Aviation Hub by the Government of Malaysia (Ministry of Transport).  
  • Key Advisor to Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd in the award of concessions for the construction, operation and maintenance of the Aircraft Hanger and Aircraft Simulator Complex in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
  • Led team in the renegotiation of two Concession Agreements for the construction, operation and maintenance of water treatment plants and the supply of treated water for two of Malaysia’s main water supply companies. 
  • Key advisor acting for Petronas Gas Supply (Labuan) Sdn Bhd, the concessionaire for the extraction, treatment and supply of water concession and negotiated the operations and maintenance agreement for the water treatment plant.
  • Part of the team advising the main contractors on the EPC contract relating to 2 transmission lines projects.
  • Lead advisor to the concessionaire on the privatisation of solid waste management services in Malaysia including drafting and negotiating the concession agreement with the Federal Government of Malaysia.  
  • Led team acting for Tunas Selatan Berhad, a Malaysian public listed company, in the negotiations for the Build Operate Maintain and Transfer of a hospital project in Malaysia.  
  • Advised a major engineering company in Malaysia on a proposed Public Private Partnership (PPP) project in relation to the design, construction, operations and maintenance of a 24 km bridge linking an island to the mainland.
  • Led team advising Pengurusan Lantas Berhad, a Malaysian public listed company, on the legal aspect of the feasibility study on a proposed concession to Build Operate and Transfer Labuan Port.
  • Led team advising Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), a public listed company, on the legal aspect of the feasibility study on a proposed concession to Build Operate and Transfer a port in the Philippines.
  • Advised on and drafted the concession agreement for Felda Holdings Bhd wherein Port Qasim Authority (PQA) granted it the concession right and license to design, finance insure, construct, test, commission, complete, operate, manage and maintain the dedicated Liquid Cargo Terminal at Port Qasim, Pakistan on a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.  
  • Led legal advisory team acting for Pengurusan Lantas Berhad, a Malaysian public listed company, on the study conducted for the Labuan Development Authority for the development of Labuan, which is a federal territory of Malaysia and an offshore financial center.
  • Key advisor to the concessionaire, Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (a public listed company), on the development and implementation of the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) forming part of the Electronic Government Project in Malaysia.

Practice Focus

  • PPP, EPCC and Privatisation Projects
  • Construction & Engineering
  • Infrastructure Projects

Education

  • Council of Legal Education, London, 1988
  • School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, LLB (Hons), 1987

Admissions

  • Barrister-at-Law, Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn, England & Wales, 1989
  • Advocate & Solicitor, High Court of Malaya, 1991
  • Member of WAPPP, World Association of PPP Units and Professionals
  • Co-Chair Asia Pacific Chapter of WAPPP

Languages

  • English
  • Bahasa Malaysia