CONSTRUCTION work for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) will soon build up in Pahang as jobs for subcontracts are expected to be awarded in the first quarter of next year, The Edge Financial Daily reported today.

In a media briefing, Satnam Singh, China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd’s (CCC-ECRL) authority and community liaison manager for ECRL section six, said construction work starts at his section and most of it is in Pahang.

The 140km section six has four stations, 21 tunnels and 37 bridges. The total distance for the 21 tunnels is 9.55km and 26.4km for all bridges.

“It will be a critical period to start as early as the first quarter next year as construction activities pick up,” Satnam said.

Meanwhile, CCC-ECRL human resources administration manager for ECRL section six Cheah Chee Yuan said the company is building an access road to the site to prepare for preliminary works so as to meet rising manpower demand.

“The actual (construction) work is targeted to commence in the first quarter next year. So, the subcontracts are likely to be awarded by then,” he told the daily.

Cheah said manpower will go up to 1,400 people from current 700, including subcontractor workers.

He added that a four-day recruitment roadshow took place at the East Coast Mall in Kuantan and it received some 7,000 online registration from job applicants so far.

“At this moment, our focus is still very much on the civil part, so we need civil engineers, especially those who have worked in the construction sector, in works such as building bridges and highways.”

The daily reported the tunnel along the stretch between Dungun in Terengganu and Mentakab in Pahang is currently 3.5% or 100m completed.

Prior to suspension in 2018, about 22m had been completed.

The ECRL project was suspended in July last year but was restarted in April after its cost was shaved by RM22 billion to RM44 billion.

In April, Putrajaya announced the improved deal with China on the ECRL, which involved a supplementary agreement between MRL and the China Communications Construction Company Ltd following months of negotiations.

The ECRL will link Kota Baru in Kelantan to Port Klang in Selangor and will include 20 stations across five states, from four previously.

Of these, 14 will be passenger stations, five will be a combination of passenger and freight stations, and one freight station.

Completion has been pushed to December 31, 2026, as opposed to the initial date of June 30, 2024. – December, 9, 2019.