Sarawak Metro ups staff Mandarin skills for KUTS project

KUCHING (Feb 28): Forty staff members of Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd have enrolled in an advanced technical Mandarin course aimed at enhancing their communication skills.

The four-month course, set to conclude in June, is part of Sarawak Metro’s Socio-Economic Enhancement Development (SEED) programme, which aspires to add value to the Kuching Urban Transformation System (KUTS) project.

It follows the successful completion of a beginner’s Mandarin class last year, the company said in a statement on Friday.

The course is designed to improve staff proficiency in Mandarin, particularly for effective communication with manufacturers of the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) vehicles in China.

It is organised in collaboration with the KUTS project’s system Package 1 contractor, EPR Mobilus GR JV Sdn Bhd, and Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas)’s Professional Continuous Education Learning Department and Faculty of Education, Language and Communication.

Focusing on operational workplace scenarios, the course incorporates technical terminology relevant to reporting issues, giving instructions, responding to emergencies, allocating tasks, tracking project progress, and participating in Mandarin-language meetings.

Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Mazli Mustaffa said the active participation of staff in learning new languages was encouraging, noting the advantages of multilingual communication when engaging with international partners.

“Beyond professional requirements, acquiring a new language enhances individual growth and strengthens our collective organisational capability,” he said, adding that Sarawak Metro would continue to support initiatives that could build employees’ skills and knowledge in line with its commitment in transforming the public transport system through the KUTS project.