Phase 1 launch marks a major milestone for MMC Gamuda team
Opened to the public by Yang Amat Berhormat, Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Phase 1 of the MRT Putrajaya Line was officially launched on 16 June 2022. While the public may only remember the spectacular show during the launch, behind the scenes, it was an extremely important milestone for the MMC Gamuda project team.
One of the most under-rated departments in MMC Gamuda is the traffic team which is required to interface heavily with both civil construction and stakeholder management teams, as well as the general public. Therefore, a capable and alert traffic team is a crucial requirement for successful urban construction.
Speaking on his experience working on the project so far, Wan Lokman Bin Haji Zainal Abidin, Traffic Manager, MMC Gamuda shared, “There have been many memorable firsts working on the project, like the introduction of the first Impact Protection Vehicle (IPV) in Malaysia. The IPV is a custom vehicle with special features for worker safety during the loading and unloading of Traffic Control Devices during road closure activation. It even has a Crash Attenuator attached to the back. Everytime we had to activate our Emergency Traffic Management (ETM) plan for emergency road closures, my team has been extremely well-prepared and trained, resulting in smooth and effective deployment during any mitigation processes. I’m very proud of the work all of them have done.”
Civil construction faced massive hurdles due to the pandemic, but we weathered through. One such leader tasked with bringing Phase 1 to completion is our rail project veteran, Chiew Hwa Aik, Deputy General Manager, PMD-Northern, MMC Gamuda who shared, “This isn’t my first rodeo, so while technical and commercial issues did arise, we already had proven solutions in hand from our experience working on the MRT Kajang Line. The biggest challenge was coordinating with all the different parties involved in a complicated construction like the MRT line to completion. Being able to inspire your team to give their best is also paramount, so I am glad that everyone on the civil construction side pulled their weight in bringing us overall success. It really was a case of teamwork making the dream work.”
The final stretch of work prior to the Phase 1 launch was squarely on the shoulders of the systems and Electric Train (ET) teams, as they rushed to ensure all operations on the line were working flawlessly.
Right in the thick of ironing out these last-minute system details was En. Asroll Mansor, Deputy Systems Director, MMC Gamuda, shared, “None of my past experience had prepared me for the many hurdles we faced, like the impact of COVID-19, or heightened public apprehension following a major rail accident. Overcoming the issues we faced required not only next-level technical skills but also maintaining a near-impossible balance between stakeholder engagement and operational progress.
“During these kinds of experiences, real leadership truly shines, so there were many good lessons to be learned from within our organisation, resulting in an eclectic but unified management style at the top. Personally, it has been a blessing to work in what is, in my humble opinion, the best organisation in the Malaysian rail industry ecosystem. I believe there is limitless potential for the future as we remain focused on completing Phase 2 of the project.”