MALAYSIANSKINI | In her childhood days, an overcast sky held a promise for Normalia Sidek - that during the ensuing downpour, playing catch with her neighbours would become slippery and thrilling, allowing her to invoke an entirely different set of skills.
These days, the sombre shadow cast by heavy clouds serves as nature’s subtle alarm bell, telling her to reel in her ropes and retreat from the exterior wall of the high rise she is suspended from.
She surprised Malaysians when she was captured in drone footage working at the mast of one of the Petronas Twin Towers last October.
“My dream was to work at the pinnacle of the Twin Towers,” she said with a broad smile and a gleam in her eye.
The sporty hijab-wearing lass has sparked fresh female interest in the traditionally male-dominated field of rope access technicians and non-destructive testing (NDT) technicians.
Rope access may not feature in the top 10 list of extreme jobs in the world but in certain circumstances, when it involves working at great heights or in challenging environments like cliffs, towers, bridges, or even shipyards, the level of extremeness is heightened.
Fortunately, she is not plagued with wobbly legs while changing a bulb from atop a ladder, for the 31-year-old was on a one-month job fitting new lights around the outer circumference of Malaysia’s iconic towers.
The mother of one was part of the team responsible for the iridescent shimmer that lights up the towers every evening in different colours, making them gleam like giant gems in Kuala Lumpur’s nightscape.
Inspiring young girls
“Seeing me in photos on social media, working atop one of the Petronas Towers or suspended from skyscrapers, inspires many young girls to enquire about rope access.
“They are inspired because it’s a perceived high-risk, male-dominated field, and seeing a woman enjoying the work is exciting and new.
“I feel I am breaking barriers for younger women to dare to go further than societal expectations,” Normalia told Malaysiakini.
Her efforts are also proving that extreme careers like hers are no longer a domain of men.
“I may be doing a job that not many people are inclined to do but it is a job that everyone can do,” she said earnestly.
“Someone’s drone found me at my office and it went viral,” she laughed.
Unlike most Malaysians, Normalia’s “office” is outside tall buildings, inside cavernous industrial boilers, at dry dock shipyards, on rooftops of high-rise buildings, and anywhere else her expertise is required.
“I was there for one month and have touched the height of 452m.
“After the (Petronas) Twin Towers and the arrival of my baby boy, my dreams have changed.
“I am no longer looking to exceed any height threshold,” she said.
No room for slip-ups
Rope access is specialised industrial climbing that requires significant rope work.
It is particularly suited to jobs that need to reach challenging or inaccessible areas where traditional methods like scaffolding, cranes, and platform machinery are impractical.
Deemed a more cost-effective option, rope access technicians are sought for a range of jobs including window and facade cleaning, painting, welding, pressure washing, repairing, inspecting, and other maintenance work.
Despite being safely harnessed with a second set of backup ropes and following strict safety protocols, Normalia admits there is no margin for error.
“There is no room for ‘ter’ (slip-ups) because even unintentional ‘ter’ (slip-ups) can lead to fatalities,” she emphasised.
Just as she used to pay keen attention to weather changes in her youth, motivated by play, Normalia’s attentiveness to the weather is now a crucial facet of her job.
As soon as wind speed exceeds 12 knots (22km/h), the crew descends for safety. Nevertheless, it is equally vital to maintain constant awareness of any evolving weather conditions.
Recalling her most harrowing encounters with unpredictable weather, she recounted an incident when lightning struck just in front of her.
On another occasion, she and her crew were swung around a 74-storey building to the opposite side, inadvertently getting tangled with a gondola.
“We were assigned to clean the Four Seasons Place, Kuala Lumpur, alongside several other crews on gondolas, just before its official opening. As the weather turned, we started to descend.
“A powerful gust suddenly propelled us all the way to the other side of the building.
“Initially, panic set in as we lost control of our situation, momentarily disoriented.
“However, we quickly composed ourselves first before getting to work, methodically untangling ourselves from the gondola and then resuming our descent,” she recalled.
Normalia emphasised the dangers of acting in panic, so it was important that everyone was calm before they resumed.
Unleash your potential
Normalia’s journey before turning her hobby into her career was a circuitous route which started as an auxiliary police officer, having passed gruelling police training.
After three years on the job, she made an unlikely transition into the retail fashion industry, where she started by folding clothes.
Setting her sights on advancement at a Mango outlet, she embraced her responsibilities and took on extra tasks to gain a deeper understanding of the business, eventually rising to become the outlet merchandiser.
Similarly, when she shifted to Massimo Dutti at The Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, she continued her upward trajectory and reached the role of supervisor before leaving, unable to quell her passion for rock climbing, deciding to turn those skills into a career.
Before her fascination with rock climbing, this adrenaline-enthusiast owned a 649cc Kawasaki ER-6f and frequently indulged in racing her superbike at the Elite Speedway Plus Circuit in USJ, Selangor.
Today, with 30.2K followers on TikTok and 10.6K followers on Instagram, Normalia generously shares her journey and the many facets of her present job.
This includes the simplest rooftop repairs to challenging tasks carried out on TNB transmission towers or cables under the scorching midday sun.
“Sometimes, my audience may think I am showing off but I am just sharing to create an awareness of the profession and help others.
“I simply ignore negative comments,” she said.
Her social media accounts also offer glimpses into her recent journey into motherhood and family life, illustrating that achieving a balance between family life and a high-risk job is indeed possible.
“We’re in a new era where women are possibly as influential as men, so never underestimate your capabilities.
“Unfortunately, many girls tend to underestimate and deny themselves, ultimately denying their own opportunities. Sometimes, without even trying, they are defeated.
“To succeed, you must be brave and not be overly reliant on others. While concerns about limited job prospects may arise, remember that these apprehensions do not always reflect reality, because there is always a way,” she said.
For Normalia, finding the right mentor was crucial.
“I always seek advice from technicians with more experience and I set my mindset to be prepared for the challenges and to achieve exactly what I want,” she said, determinedly.
International standards, global workplace
After spending five years as a rope access technician, Normalia is an active member of the International Rope Access Trade Association (Irata) and holds a level two technician status.
The certification requires technicians to undergo recertification every three years to stay updated on safe work techniques.
She now receives offers to team up for jobs in international projects that usually involve a diverse crew of technicians worldwide.
“We are always part of a crew and during my recent two-month stint for pipeline inspections at a dry dock shipyard in Dubai, our teammates were from Scotland, Egypt, Singapore, India, and Zimbabwe,” she said.
Rope access technicians typically work as freelancers rather than permanent staff in a company and have the flexibility to choose between long-term jobs lasting up to three months and short-term projects ranging from one to two weeks.
Normalia prefers the latter as it gives her the freedom to select projects without staying in one location for extended periods.
“I get to spend more time with my son and my husband,” adding that her husband is also a rope access technician and the most significant support base in her career.
Eager to advance her career further, Normalia has set her sights on becoming a derrick builder, a role traditionally reserved for men as it involves lifting extremely heavy equipment to carry out maintenance of heavy machinery, typically in oil rigs.
“I am determined to secure this job,” she confidently declared.
As a level one technician, typically, she used pre-existing rigging setups. However, as a level two technician, she is capable of rigging independently and is trained to perform complex rescues in industrial settings.
Every work team on site comprises level one, level two, and level three operatives. The highest ranking operative assumes a supervisory role, overseeing job planning and management for each team member, ensuring their safety and success.
Normalia explained that every day, on the job, she maintains both mental and physical readiness to handle any challenge that comes her way.
“I can do anything the men do. In fact, sometimes I tackle tasks that even the men are hesitant to handle.
“At times, within the same team, if someone, due to fear of heights, is reluctant to perform a task, I step in and take over.
“It’s as if I set the benchmark,” she chuckled. - Mkini
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