A Contribution to My Hometown’s Infrastructure in Johor, Malaysia

— Gilbert Kueh, Project Control Engineer, Infrastructure, Environment & Power Business Operations Project Control Dept., CTCI Corp., Group Engineering Business

Could you briefly tell us about yourself?

Hi, I am Gilbert Kueh. I have completed my Master degree in Construction Management and I have more than 5 years of experience in the construction field. My job responsibility mainly covers overall project scheduling and execution of project deliverables, including EPC, startup and commissioning planning, alignment of work breakdown structures in each stage for catch-up plans, critical path analysis, and project planning reports. I was assigned to a project called “Track 4A 1,440ME CCGT (combined cycle gas turbine) Power Plant Project” in Johor, Malaysia in 2017. 

I am from Malaysia though I grew up in Taiwan. I was able to make a small contribution to my hometown’s infrastructure thanks to CTCI’s assignment.

What made you join CTCI?

During my one year military service after graduation, I was looking for an overseas job opportunity for professional growth to further pursue my career path, and at that time, I came to know about a possible opportunity in CTCI. CTCI is known as Taiwan’s largest EPC Company, which provides engineering, procurement and construction services to clients around the world. I also know there are many talented and diligent people working towards the same goal- the very reason for me to join CTCI.

Could you give us some examples of the foreign culture and people that impress you during your stay (when being relocated)?

I was mobilized to Track 4A Project site in December 2017 and demobilized in March 2021, totaling 1,182 days. I have had a profound exploration in Malaysia even though Malaysia is my hometown.   

Malaysia is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, which has a significant effect on its politics. About half the population is ethnically Malay, with minorities of Chinese, Indians, and indigenous peoples. While recognizing Islam as the country’s established religion, the constitution grants freedom of religion to non-Muslims, which allows local religious activities to flourish. Just open out the calendar and you will see plenty of multi-cultural activities that enrich Malaysian people’s lives. For instance, we celebrate two different New Year events, one is Chinese New Year with all the Chinese and another is Hari Raya with the Malay.

What impressed me the most is the language proficiency of Malaysian Chinese. They are born multilingual. You can easily find a Malaysian Chinese who can speak at least 3 different languages with equal fluency. They usually act as a perfect bridge between Malay and other nationalities – a prime example is one of our site secretaries, who speaks Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, and Hakka.  

How do you get rid of work stress?

I came to know some desirable acquaintances during my expatriation. They are freshmen from different professional backgrounds who also joined this overseas project  like me, and we soon became good friends. There are a lot of scenic attractions in Malaysia. On public holidays, we would arrange trips to visit those breathtaking sights and release our stress from work. Sometimes, we catch the overnight train after getting off work to save travel time. We work hard and play even harder.  

Besides, Track 4A site team is starting to gel as we frequently go on team-building activities. We have a lively atmosphere here, and together, we  overcame obstacles even during peak season. 

Could you share some interesting experience you had when working in CTCI?

The most interesting experience I had was when I witnessed the growth of the whole Track 4A project during my period of mobilization to the site at the beginning (site preparation) until my demobilization at the final stage (Turnkey). It’s hard to imagine the complete appearance while seeing a vacant land during site preparation, but our team and partners cooperated well, built it up step by step towards each milestone (back energization, mechanical completion, first fire and achieved commercial operation date).
 
Four years have almost passed since the land was handed over as a jungle/swamp until today. I witnessed the success of the whole project being fully power-generated. It’s my great honor and highest appreciation to collaborate and be a part of the project team.