SEREMBAN: There are some 25,000 jobs awaiting those keen on careers in the rail industry, including its maintenance, repair and overhaul sector, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"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 .Ahmad Zahid said although students can now be trained locally, some are still sent abroad to Australia for exposure and experience. "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.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.
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 .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.This advanced certification enables Destini to perform extensive overhauls and major repairs of rolling stock and infrastructure at specialised facilities.
"I want rail transport to be a sustainable solution towards reducing road congestion and to improve road safety.