SEREMBAN: There are some 25,000 jobs awaiting those keen on careers in the rail industry, including its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the starting salaries for jobs in this high-demand sector averaged about RM3,000 and also offered a bright career path.
"Institutions like UniKL are prepared to train those keen to pursue professional and technical programmes in this field.
"The more expertise or qualifications one has, the higher the remuneration he or she will be able to demand," he said after a railways-related event here on Tuesday (Dec 10).
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Ahmad Zahid said although students can now be trained locally, some are still sent abroad to Australia for exposure and experience.
He said the country's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector no longer focused on conventional and traditional programmes but emphasised high skills now.
Citing examples, he said the government was committed to turning rail transportation into the country's main mode of land travel and had made strategic investments in the MRT, LRT, RTS Link and ECRL services.
"The target is to have 40% rail travel by 2030. I am confident this will be achieved," he said, adding that the demand for workers in MRO would increase if the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High-Speed Rail project gets the go-ahead.
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In July, Transport Minister Anthony Loke had said the government would make a final decision by the end of this year on whether or not to proceed with the project after considering proposals from a narrowing list of private consortiums.
The HSR aims to slash travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore from around four hours by road to just 90 minutes by rail.
"UniKL is prepared to work with anyone given the task to run the HSR and will help train the skilled workers needed for the service," he said.
Earlier, Ahmad Zahid witnessed a ceremony to hand back the third SCS 92 Class train sets restored under an MRO project undertaken by M Rail Technics Sdn Bhd (Railtec).
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Railtech was established in 2021 as a joint venture between Destini Bhd and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd to provide comprehensive MRO services in the rail industry.
It is the first company in Malaysia to undertake Level 4 MRO services.
This advanced certification enables Destini to perform extensive overhauls and major repairs of rolling stock and infrastructure at specialised facilities.
Ahmad Zahid also witnessed the signing of a collaboration between Railtech and UniKL to train students.
He said the rail sector was also expected to see an increase in ridership as people leave their cars at home to escape traffic congestion.
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He said as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on road safety and traffic congestion, it was his wish to see Malaysia stay on the right track to become a regional and global rail transport leader.
"I want rail transport to be a sustainable solution towards reducing road congestion and to improve road safety.
"Rail transportation also offers high punctuality as its operations are not affected by traffic jams," he said.
Ahmad Zahid said the country needs not only good rail infrastructure but also consistent maintenance.
He said after creating a strong rail ecosystem and strengthening the MRO sector, the next important step was investing in human capital development.
"Malaysia needs to ensure that the rail industry can be supported through training programmes and relevant skills development, especially in rail technology and engineering.
"This initiative will produce a highly skilled workforce or TVET experts who are not only able to meet the technical needs of the industry, but also play a role as the main driver in achieving excellence in this sector," he added.
