KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 18): Prasarana Malaysia Bhd intends to combine its bus and rail academies into a single institution, with aspirations to develop it into a specialist in land transport technical training and vocational courses.

Speaking to reporters at the graduation ceremony of Prasarana's Rapid Bus Academy and Rapid Rail Academy today, president and group chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Hazlan Mohamed Hussain said the consolidation is part of the group's five-year transformation plan to build talent more effectively.

"We are working on a five-year transformation plan, where we will have many initiatives and strategies that covers all our businesses. Education is one of our focus, to build talent internally and increase our collaboration with other higher education institutions," he said, but did not elaborate further on the five-year transformation plan.

Mohamed Hazlan was appointed to helm Prasarana on Sept 3 this year, to improve the financial position of the state-owned infrastructure company.

Prasarana group chief operating officer for strategy and transformation Ang Yoke Kee, meanwhile, said the group has outlined the five-year transformation plan, and has updated to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Ministry of Transport (MoT) on the progress.

"We are working on it, and we have briefed the Transport Minister and Finance Minister. We work very closely with them to update the progress with MoT and MoF; we are very lucky to have their support in what we do," Ang said.