Engineers and technicians conduct a thorough inspection of a local control panel following the completion of a dust resistance test.
KUCHING (April 18): Five young engineers and apprentices from Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd (Sarawak Metro) recently returned from a successful month-long industrial attachment in China.
According to a press release, the initiative was part of Sarawak Metro’s Socio-Economic Enhancement Development (SEED) Programme, which aims to enhance the procurement value of the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project.
The industrial attachment was made possible through the close collaboration with Sarawak Metro’s Systems Package 1 Contractor – EPR Mobilus Global Rail JV Sdn Bhd (EMGJV).
Sarawak Metro engineers Muhammad Azri Abdul Wahed and Qhalief Sapawi from the System Assurance and Requirement Department, and three apprentices, Syammil Mohd Ishak, Farid Hamizan Roslan and Nur Nafisa Abdullah from Sarawak Metro’s Young Talent Programme (YTP), completed their industrial attachment at Fangda Inno Tech Co Ltd, Shenzhen earlier this month.
During the industrial attachment, they were briefed on the overview of the Automated Platform Gate (APG) project and gained hands-on assembly experience.
Additionally, they were introduced to testing procedures, including the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test, weather tightness test, structural test, maintenance demonstration test, functional test and one-million cycle test.
This comprehensive training equipped them with practical skills, exposed them to industry-standard practices and familiarised them with the stages of testing and commissioning, empowering them to excel in their roles in assisting with the operation of the KUTS project.
Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Mazli Mustaffa said the industrial attachment marked another milestone in creating a pool of skilled manpower to manage the KUTS project.
“The SEED Programme is our initiative to prepare our young local talents for the needs of this new industry.
“This is our commitment to ensuring the success of this noble project, which aims to modernise public transport and ease traffic congestion in Greater Kuching,” he said, adding that more industrial attachments are in the pipeline.
EMGJV project director Mohd Asmadi Abdul Manaf said the joint venture company was proud to play a major role in this transfer of knowledge throughout the one-month attachment, which he considered as a continuous process in collaboration with Sarawak Metro and EMGJV’s overseas suppliers.
“Definitely a milestone achieved, this was a continuation of the attachment programme that followed last year’s attachment with Global Rail in Selangor and marked the second attachment organised in China, the first being with CRRC MRT Holding Group Co Ltd’s facilities in Changsha last year, and most recently in Shenzhen, China.
“By cultivating their skills in this field, these young talents played a pivotal role in the testing and operating the prototype APG system for KUTS,” he said.
This year, Sarawak Metro is recruiting another 20 more YTP apprentices, bringing the total number to 60 since its introduction three years ago.
The YTP is a sub-programme introduced under the SEED Programme, as part of Sarawak Metro’s readiness efforts.