by Shameera Nair Lin

You may recognise this week’s Know Your Colleague subject. Earlier in the year, she was a recipient of the Jabatan Pembangunan Wanita’s (JPW) Anugerah Ikon Wanita, being one of five recipients in the Kemahiran (Skills) category nationwide. For the full prize announcement on the YTL BTRT website, click HERE. Today, we will be learning more about the exact nature of Seow Wei’s job and what goes on behind it. 

Seow Wei is an engineer in the rolling stock department of E-Mas (ERL Maintenance Support Sdn Bhd), having joined the department in February 2015. She handles issues pertaining to, but not limited to: new trains purchased; failure monitoring analysis; supporting train troubleshooting in the event of any failure; documentation; and so on. At present, she is on an on-call basis if there’s anything requiring technical support. Even after regular work hours, she has to be available in the event of any trouble. 

To put it simply, Seow Wei is in a position where she handles a lot. She explains further by citing a not-too-uncommon challenge: train breakdowns. ‘I need to have a plan & I need to grab time.’ When asked for further explanation on the time pressure involved, she explains that solutions in those situations are expected ‘within two hours, maybe’. The responsibility rests on her to make ‘firm and accurate decisions.’ A degree of exactitude is crucial in decisive moments.

Such challenges, however, do not preclude enjoyment in her work life. She speaks of friendly colleagues, with whom she has personal friendships that sometimes involve sharing issues beyond work. She points out that they are ‘not selfish in sharing their knowledge and experience’, expressing gratitude for a strong bond in the workplace. 

In thinking about work experiences further, I ask Seow Wei if she has any memorable situations or stories to share with our readers. Between November 2015 to July 2016, she was stationed in China for work. During which, she strongly recalls daily treks from her residence to the train manufacturer’s factory, braving immensely cold temperatures. A stark change from her life in Malaysia, with a family she missed dearly.

She is now married and has given birth to her son, who will turn two in a few months. Her family offers unconditional support: ‘when I feel difficulties or challenges, I think about my husband, baby and parents.’ This is because in spite of whatever she faces, they are an integral part of her life. She enjoys gardening outside work, cooking for her family on weekends as a way of sharing affection and treasured moments. 

On the subject of the award, she is delighted, expressing joy at being a woman who has made such strides in a male-dominated field. Throughout her six years working at E-Mas, it is evident Seow Wei has risen to the challenges of her professional life with an admirable sense of strength.