KUALA NERUS, Aug 7 – The construction of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) project not only creates a new transportation network in Terengganu but also provides job opportunities for thousands of residents.
This is acknowledged by 53-year-old Abu Samah Yusof, who works as Deputy Manager of Section 3 at China Communications Construction Sdn Bhd (CCC-ECRL).
CCC-ECRL is the main contractor for the ECRL project, which spans 665 kilometres (km) from Kelantan to Gombak.
Abu Samah said that before joining the ECRL project, he had to work away from home for over 20 years due to the lack of large-scale projects in Terengganu.
This situation put pressure on him and his wife, Eliza Sufinah Mat Sepin, 47, as they were forced to live apart due to work commitments.
“After finishing my studies, I immediately started working away from home, a situation that continued until I got married in 2003 and was blessed with six children. In 2015, my wife asked me to return to Terengganu because she could no longer manage the children alone.
“At that time, there happened to be a suspension bridge project in Kuala Terengganu and I worked there for four years. Thankfully, the ECRL project then came along, allowing me to stay in my hometown,” he said when met at the Section 3 CCC-ECRL office in Bukit Berangan.
Abu Samah noted that his two younger brothers, Abu Suffian, 51, and Abu Shafalizail, 42, have also benefited from this opportunity as they now work as a safety supervisor and a surveyor respectively.
He said that in Section Three of CCC-ECRL alone, there are over 1,000 local workers on the construction site and 300 in management, adding that local workers are prioritised for every job opportunity based on their skills and expertise.
“I can say that the number of local workers here is greater than those from China. In the management sector, we have 300 locals and only 80 workers from mainland China.”
“The company is always open to hiring interested residents. If there are vacancies that match their skills, they will not hesitate to offer them a position at ECRL,” said Abu Samah, who can converse in Mandarin.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Abu Suffian, who also spent over a decade working away from his wife and children, expressed gratitude that Terengganu is part of the ECRL project.
“Before joining ECRL, I worked with my brother (Abu Samah) on the suspension bridge project. I was quite worried about where to go once that project was completed.
“Fortunately, the government implemented the ECRL project in Terengganu. This has allowed me to stay with my family and care for my elderly mother,” he said.
However, he added that once the ECRL project is completed in 2026, he would have no issue working elsewhere, as the travel time between Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur will be reduced to around four hours, allowing him to return to his hometown comfortably every week.
