Premier offers funds, site for engineers training centre in Samarahan

KUCHING: The Sarawak Bumiputera Consulting Engineers Association has received the green light to build its proposed training excellence centre.
 
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced that he has agreed to allocate a suitable site in Kota Samarahan for the establishment of the training centre.
 
“I also promise that I will contribute part of the construction cost for your training centre.
 
“It will be equipped with the latest equipment, including artificial intelligence (AI), to enable engineers to find solutions with the assistance of AI, as it represents the future of the industry,” he said.
 
He said this during the association’s anniversary dinner and engineer award ceremony at the Kuching Waterfront Hotel here last night (June 16).
 
Abang Johari also mentioned the importance of engineers and consultants staying updated with the latest technology.
 
“For the Bumiputera engineers and consultants, of course you have obtained the basics from the university; but along the line, there are a lot of changes, and this is due to technology,” he said.
 
With that, he called upon members of the association to keep exploring new technology and incorporate new technologies into their work.
 
“Sarawak emphasises environmental sustainability, and this means that our building must meet the Green Building Index (GBI).
 
“Secondly, projects must comply with the principles of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles, as even banks now also prioritise ESG criteria for loans.
 
“Failure to meet these standards could impact project implementation, considering the significant emphasis placed on environmental considerations in the current economy,” he said.
 
Meanwhile, the association’s chairman Ir Irwan Zulkarnain Muhammad Hasbie said the vision of setting up the training excellence centre,  among others, will be a focal point for its members to meet on matters of training, meeting, and networking.
 
“Moreover, the centre is for fresh and seasoned engineers to increase their engineering practise standards,” he said.
 
In addition, he said the association also wants to set up a data centre where project references in terms of reference and code of practise can be kept and easily accessed by members.
 
“Lastly, it is also to have a resource centre where commonly used software, tools, and programmes of engineering can be shared among the members either using Cloud technology or physical means, thereby easing the financial burden of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” he said.
 
Irwan further said that with all these being achieved, it would help the association achieve its objectives as laid out in their constitutions.