Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.

At dawn in Alor Setar, the capital of Malaysia's northwestern Kedah State, bleary-eyed workers jostle for space in a packed carriage bound for Penang's factories.

It might look and feel like a scene from a busy urban metropolis in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta or London. But this is rush hour in one of the most rural states in Malaysia. And workers like technician Nuhairi Ismail are southbound, heading to Penang's industrial parks some 100 kilometers away on this intercity line.

It is 6:40 am on a Monday in August, and there is limited seating in the Keretapi Tanah Melayu, or KTM train, especially since some coaches have only standing room.

But Nuhairi, 47, who stays at a rented room near his workplace during weekdays, does not mind the rush. In fact, taking the train is an improvement from how he used to commute in 2022.