A total of 26 students from Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) have been selected to participate in the prestigious Program Latihan Kemahiran Industri ECRL (PLKI-ECRL) at Liuzhou Railway Vocational Technical College (LRVTC), China, marking a significant step towards building global competencies in the railway sector.
This initiative is part of a strategic collaboration between Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL), and UniKL.
It aims to prepare Malaysia’s next generation of railway professionals for the operation and maintenance (O&M) phase of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project.
Under this one-year programme, students from UniKL will pursue a specialised diploma in Railway Transportation Operations at LRVTC as part of the ECRL Industrial Collaboration Program (ICP), with 15 students from UniKL British Malaysian Institute (BMI), nine from UniKL Malaysia Italy Design Institute (MIDI), and two from UniKL Malaysia France Institute (MFI) selected to participate.
“The next plan after finishing my studies in China is to work with MRL for a year. Maybe after the one-year bond with MRL, I’ll continue my bachelor’s degree.
“And then, if the opportunity arises, I’d love to return to work with MRL,” said Aleeya Ameera Mohamad Azmi, a Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technology student from UniKL BMI.
She is one of 26 UniKL students selected to undergo the one-year programme in Railway Transportation Operations in China.
Following the academic programme, students will undergo a three-month internship at the ECRL project site in Malaysia, offering them hands-on experience with real-world railway systems and operations aligned with international—specifically Chinese—railway industry standards.
Upon successful completion of both the academic training and internship, all participants will be offered job placements with the ECRL operator, contributing directly to one of Malaysia’s most ambitious and significant infrastructure projects.
For Khairul Hakimi Mohamad Fadzil, another participant, the plan is clear: “I plan to pursue my bachelor’s degree after returning to Malaysia—to increase my value and secure my future, God willing.”
Malaysia faces a critical shortage of skilled professionals in railway transportation, signalling, and rolling stock maintenance.
The PLKI-ECRL programme addresses this gap by providing international exposure to advanced railway technologies, strengthening students’ employability for the ECRL and future railway projects, and enabling dual certification that bridges Malaysian and international railway qualifications.
