KUCHING: Engineering Consultant Practitioners (ECP) have been urged to continue to provide the best and professional services to customers and the public in Sarawak.
Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said that adherence to the code of professional ethics as set out in the Registration of Engineers Regulations 1990 must be upheld at all times.
“This is important in order to maintain the good name of the engineering profession,” he said when officiating at Board of Engineers Malaysia’s (BEM) Secretariat Office at Wisma Saberkas here today.
Sarawak, he said, has always experienced the process of urbanisation with the implementation of development projects from the aspects of infrastructure, oil and gas, and other sectors.
Thus, it was expected that the number of graduate engineers, professional engineers, engineering technologists and site inspectors from Sarawak would increase.
“The figures will increase in Sarawak in view of the various development by the government and the private sector, of which the engineering services sector is directly involved with these developments,” he said.
“Among them is the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway and coastal highway which are currently being implemented,” he said.
Works Ministry, he said, through the BEM would remain committed to supporting and realising the government’s policies and wishes, hence the BEM’s Secretariat Office was established here.
The presence of BEM’s Secretariat Office aims to provide better administrative support and facilitate BEM functions for engineers in Sarawak, he said, adding that soon BEM will also set up its Secretariat Office in Sabah.
On April 18, the Public Works Department had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BEM to assist and support BEM to establish and operate its very first Secretariat Office here in Sarawak.
Hence, the BEM’s Secretariat Office was successfully completed on July 23 and is located at the 7th Floor of JKR Sarawak Office, Wisma Saberkas.
Later in a press conference, Fadillah also said in view of the geographical factors between Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia which is quite far, thus the relationship between engineers here in the state and BEM can be strengthened and allow a more efficient communication through the BEM’s Secretariat Office.
“With the presence of BEM’s secretariat office in Sarawak, it also facilitates all planning, programme and any other sessions between the professional engineers, non-professional engineers here with BEM of which its headquarters is in Kuala Lumpur.
“At the same time, this will also ensure that the standard of engineering training will be improved according to professional level that has been set,” he said.
Earlier, BEM president Datuk Seri Ir Mohamad Zulkefly said BEM was established in 1972 under the Registration of Engineers Act 1967, with the primary role to register engineers to perform professional engineering services in Malaysia.
According to the board’s database, as of June 30, there are 12,335 graduate engineers, site inspector (851), professional engineer with practicing certificate (657), professional engineer (304), and engineering technologists (261).
“As for engineering consulting companies registered with BEM and are actively conducting professional engineering services in Sarawak, 102 of them are body corporate, sole proprietorship (82), partnership (15), multi-disciplinary corporation (five),” he said.
He added that although BEM was established in 1972 with three main responsibilities under the Engineers Registration Act 1967 which is to register engineering teams to perform professional engineering services
in Malaysia.
Although all BEM processes and services can be done online, there are also other operational and administrative activities that can be carried out physically at the BEM Sarawak Secretariat office such as disciplinary hearings, investigations and seminars or road shows.
Meanwhile, the event also saw the launching of BEM’s logo in conjunction with the board’s 50th anniversary. Also present was JKR Sarawak director Ir Richard Tajan.
