INGENIEUR
Figure 2: Proposed Capacity Building Framework
major customers include the electrical railway
industry. University Tenaga National (UNITEN),
a wholly-owned subsidiary of TNB, would be an
appropriate choice to set up this centre.
The proposed capacity building framework is
as shown in Figure 2.
The nominated Malaysian university will first
enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with BCRER on a “twinning program” basis for
setting up the Railway Engineering Centre (REC)
established in the nominated university. This
MoU should outline the objectives, deliverables
and timeline for the REC. In parallel with this,
separate MoUs will need to be entered into with
the Malaysian stakeholders of the railway industry
which are listed as shown in Figure 2 above, with
their relevant roles outlined as below:
• MoT is responsible for the asset
development and regulation of the
nationwide railway system, including the
North-South double-track rail network.
• KTM is the operator of the nationwide
railway system.
• SPAD is the Regulator of rail transit
systems for urban transportation
services.
• PRASARANA/MRT Corp. are the asset
owners of rail transit systems.
• RapidRail is the operator of rail transit
systems.
• TNB supplies bulk electricity for traction
power/energy to railway operators – a
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typical monthly electricity consumption
bill for the existing LRT system (Kelana
Jaya Line) is about RM 3 million.
• BEM is the Regulator for the engineering
profession and Chairman of Engineering
Accreditation Council (EAC).
• IEM is the learned-society institution
for engineering professionals and a
member of EAC.
For a start, the nominated-university REC and
BCRER will develop and roll-out on a “twinning
programme” basis, a niche four-year BSc
Undergraduate course in Electrical & Railway
Engineering following the BCRER programme
model commencing as early as September 2016
(Year 1) so that the first pioneering batch (say,
about 40) young engineers in Electrical & Railway
Engineering can graduate into the Malaysian
railway industry by 2020.
In the context of this capacity building
framework, it is also proposed that IEM consider
forming a sub-division of Electrical Railways under
its Electrical Technical Division and another subdivision of Rail-Road under its Civil/Structural
Technical Division.
The Way Forward: Capacity Building Initiatives
Railway engineering is underpinned by two basic
engineering disciplines, namely civil/structure
engineering and electrical engineering.