KUANTAN - Mohd Shukri bin Arifin, 40, who is responsible for the last working procedure on the metalworking production line of Alliance Steel, has little idea what the wire rods or the metal bars are used for. But he knows he is working for the biggest iron works in Malaysia, and perhaps one of the most advanced in Southeast Asia.

His job - sorting out defective products that are too short and clipping those that are too long - is not complicated, but it is the time the man from Malaysia's eastern Pahang state has worked in a modern factory.

When asked about why he chose to work for Alliance Steel, the first factory to start its manufacturing operation in the 3,000 acre Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP), Shukri highlighted higher wages - almost 20 percent more than his previous job - dormitories equipped with entertainment and gym facilities and transportation allowances, and, more importantly, training opportunities that enabled him to operate machines.