CRRC Ups Cooperation With Suppliers In China, Malaysia

BATU GAJAH (Melaka, Malaysia) Oct 3 (Bernama) – Rolling Stock Centre (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock Corp (CRRC), aims to strengthen cooperation with railway equipment suppliers in China and Malaysia. Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Dr Ong Kian Ming said the move is necessary as companies in Malaysia currently are able to supply only 20 per cent of the components to the company’s plant here. He said this percentage is still low as Malaysian component suppliers have not achieved the required capability. "It is less than the 30 per cent set by the government as a condition for awarding the supply contract for the ETS (Electric Train Service) and others to Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (Malayan Railways Limited)," he told reporters after visiting the plant here Wednesday. The plant, which has been in operation for three years, has 182 workers, and focuses on the manufacture, repair and maintenance of trains including those for the Light Rail Transit service. Ong said CRRC has identified a company in Klang to supply air conditioning components to its plant. “For me, this is a good sign, and I hope they (companies in China and Malaysia) can also make other components," he said. Ong said Perak needs to present a more comprehensive picture about the state’s advantages and investment opportunities to prospective domestic and foreign investors. "Perak has many advantages in terms of lower cost of doing business and lower land prices compared to Penang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. "It is also not as congested as Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and at the moment water supply (in Perak) is smoother and not as challenging as in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, and I think details such as these should be let known to foreign investors,” he said. -- BERNAMA