Service Sector Liberalization

In his 2012 budget speech, our Prime Minister announced a series of measures to spur private investment and accelerated growth, including phased liberalization of several service sectors.  The budget specifies that up to 100% foreign equity will be allowed in 17 services subsectors, which include architectural services, medical and dental specialist services, apart from engineering and legal services – amongst the ones that clearly involve professional services.

This measure will purportedly push the local service providers, which in due course will pave the way for Malaysian service providers venturing overseas and widening their horizons.  On the other hand, it will encourage foreign players in those sectors to come to Malaysia, bringing in foreign investment into our country.

While we should support liberalization and the opening up of equity in our survey firms, the move must be confined to only professional surveyors.  In other words, we should not allow non-professional surveyors to be eligible to this ownership. Doing so could lead to a deterioration of ethical and professional standards – leading to reduced standards and quality of work, which would eventually be detrimental to the consumers.  Moreover, the overall development of surveyors could be jeopardised in such a situation, as they would be working in an environment that lacks emphasis on quality and expertise.

Free trade means anyone; including non-professionals can invest and own 100% equity in a firm – that’s the practice.  By this, professional concerns can be sidelined in the interest of business and profits will be the deciding factor - not professional aspects of meeting quality standards.  The repercussions may not be that visible in the near term but hopefully it does not take a disaster before we realize the consequences of having non-professional surveyors taking ownership in surveying practices.

With the aforementioned consideration, we had teamed up with PAM and IEM to raise our concern to the Minister of Works. This was made through a joint letter signed by me and the Presidents of PAM and IEM on 18.12.2011. In the letter we communicated our conviction that equity holding in consulting engineer, architect and quantity surveyor’s firms should be confined to the concerned professionals who are registered with their statutory or recognised professional bodies. For clarity, we emphasised our stand that 100% equity holding has to be restricted to professionals registered with the respective Malaysian Boards of Architect, Engineers and Quantity Surveyors. Nonetheless, we did include the acceptance of foreign architects, engineers and quantity surveyors whom are recognised and registered with authoritative bodies of the said profession in Malaysia or through MRAs (Mutual Recognition Agreement) between Malaysia and the country of the foreign professional.

I hope the letter would be given due consideration by the Minister and that the interests of the public – the would-be consumers in the end, and of our quantity surveyors in particular, be protected by the ensuing move of the Ministry.

RISM - ICI Library Project Handover

The RISM-ICI library project was one of the activities organised in conjunction with the 50 year celebrations of RISM.  It was led by Sr Dr. Khoo Boo Kean and the handover of the successfully completed project marked the culmination of all the said celebrations in 2011. Sr Dr. Khoo Boo Kean was instrumental in undertaking and making all arrangements for the project implementation right from its initial inception until project completion. In short, the project involves the identification of a deserving orphanage and the building of a library in the selected orphanage (including the supply of books for the library).

Teratak Rahmat Orphanage situated in Mata Ayer, Perlis apparently is most needful  of a library and merits the assistance of RISM. Susequently, the work of renovating the available space in the premise into a library was carried out. Next, comes the identification of appropriate books, its procurement and delivery, and eventually the handing over to the caretaker of the orphanage. The date 18^th December 2011 had been chosen for the event and to draw in Councillors to participate, we had our 6^th RISM Council Meeting in Kangar, Perlis on 17^th December 2011.

In order to give publicity and promote RISM, we had attempted to rope in the Menteri Besar of Perlis for the event. Brig. Gen. Sr Mohd Amin Mohd Din, who had the connections had worked on this and had been successful in obtaining the consent of the Menteri Besar to participate.  Unfortunately, there were some complications arising out of some local political entanglements that resulted in the whole idea having to be abandoned at the last minute – a missed opportunity for RISM!

We then had to be satisfied with the expectation of the event being a low profile one – one that’s without much hype and splendour. Unexpectedly, it turns out otherwise.  Although small in scale, the reception given to us - the RISM Councillors and staffs that participated, was relatively superb. The caretakers of the orphanage had gone to great lengths to receive us and dish out their best with their silat shows, food and gifts.  To me, it shows how much the contribution of RISM means to them. I felt overwhelmed by their warmth and am very contented that the project was so meaningful to Teratak Rahmat Orphanage (regretfully, the joy couldn’t be shared with Sr Dr. Khoo Boo Khean who couldn’t come, as he was recuperating from a major illness). The rest agreed to it being purposeful and significant, and in the words of Assoc. Prof. Sr Dr. Hjh. Wan Maimun Wan Abdullah, “we should have more of this!”

I had delivered a speech that I consider is appropriate for the function and hopefully explained the purpose of RISM being involved in the undertaking. The contents of the speech describes this and are as follows:

“Assalamualaikum w.b. dan  Salam Sejahtera.

Terlebih dahulu, syukur kita Kehadrat ALLAH SWT kerana dengan limpah dan kurnianya dapatlah kita berkumpul di majlis ini dan semoga ianya menjadi satu majlis yang diberkat, InsyAllah. Bagi pihak Pertubuhan Juruukur DiRaja Malaysia, saya mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih dan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan di atas kesudian hadirin sekalian meluangkan masa untuk bersama-sama dalam majlis ini. Kehadiran semua tentunya akan menyerikan lagi majlis ini di samping menjadikannya perhimpunan yang lebih bermakna baik bagi Pusat Jagaan Anak Yatim Teratak Rahmat mahupun bagi Pertubuhan Juruukur DiRaja Malaysia.

HADIRIN YANG DIHORMATI SEKALIAN

Oleh kerana ramai di antara kita di sini mungkin masih belum kenal apa itu Pertubuhan Juruukur DiRaja Malaysia atau singkatannya RISM eloklah saya mulakan dengan menyentuh secara ringkas mengenai pertubuhan ini.  RISM bermula sebagai Pertubuhan Juruukur Malaya pada tahun 1961 dan kemudiannya bertukar nama kepada Pertubuhan Juruukur Malaysia pada tahun 1966. Terkini ia baru-baru ini, bertukar lagi nama kepada Pertubuhan Juruukur DiRaja Malaysia. Pertubuhan ini sekarang berusia 50 tahun dan sehubungan itu kami telah mengadakan sambutan 50 tahun ini di sepanjang 2011. Sambutan ini dilakukan dengan mengadakan pelbagai program dan aktiviti termasuklah yang berkaitan kebajikan dan kemasyarakatan seperti program yang diadakan pada hari ini.

RISM kini dianggotai seramai lebih daripada 6,000 orang professional dalam bidang ukur dari seluruh negara –  sebenarnya terdapat 4 bidang ukur yang berkaitan,  iaitu Ukur Tanah, Ukur Bahan, Pengurusan Harta Benda & Hartanah, dan Ukur Bangunan. Beribu pejabat di Petaling Jaya, Selangor, kami turut mempunyai beberapa pejabat cawangan di Pantai Timur, Selatan, Utara, Sabah dan Sarawak.

RISM mempunyai visi untuk menjadi Pusat Kecemerlangan dalam bidang ukur bukan sahaja di negara kita bahkan di seluruh dunia. Misi pertubuhan ini pula adalah untuk meningkatkan standard amalan serta etika profession ukur, menjaga kebajikan dan kemajuan karier ahli-ahlinya, meningkatkan hubungan dan jalinan dengan profession lain di peringkat negara dan antarabangsa serta menyumbang kepada kemajuan masyarakat dan negara.

Alhamdullilah, sebagai pengiktirafan kepada peranan dan sumbangannya  pada 14 September yang lalu. Pertubuhan ini telah diberikan status DiRaja oleh DYMM Sultan Selangor. Dengan penganugerahan ini RISM merupakan pertubuhan NGO yang pertama yang diberikan status Di Raja  di negara kita.

Selain daripada peranan dan tugas terhadap profession dan ahli-ahlinya, RISM juga tidak mengabaikan tanggungjawab kepada masyarakat dan telah menjalankan pelbagai aktiviti sosial dan kemasyarakatan secara berterusan. Kami mengharapkan melalui aktiviti–aktiviti yang dijalankan itu ianya dapat memberikan sumbangan kepada masyarakat mengeratkan lagi hubungan RISM dengan orang ramai, di samping dapat mempromosikan Pertubuhan ini.

HADIRIN YANG DIHORMATI SEKALIAN

Sebagaimana yang kita semua sedia maklum, ilmu pengetahuan merupakan asas dan jaminan kepada pembentukan masyarakat dan negara yang makmur. Tamadun-tamadun yang besar seperti Greek dan Mesir amat memberikan penekanan kepada pembangunan ilmu dan perpustakaan. Dalam hal ini, taraf hidup dan nilai sesebuah negara amat bergantung kepada penerimaan masyarakat terhadap ilmu pengetahuan dan ditentukan oleh tahap pencapaian ilmu masyarakat itu sendiri. Sesebuah masyarakat yang miskin ilmu tidak akan kaya budaya dan tamadunnya.

Dalam hubungan ini RISM menyakini bahawa ilmu adalah aspek yang amat penting untuk diberikan keutamaan. Dengan adanya ilmu, kita dapat menjadi insan berguna, justeru menyumbang kepada  Agama, Bangsa dan Negara. Atas kepentingan tersebut, Pertubuhan merasakan perlunya melibatkan diri dengan program-program bagi menggalak dan meningkatkan budaya ilmu bukan sahaja di kalangan ahli-ahlinya, tetapi juga di kalangan masyarakat. Dan kami percaya bahawa ia patut dimulakan seawal-awalnya nya  terutamanya dikalangan kanak-kanak dan murid sekolah.

Sehubungan itu, RISM berhasrat sekadar kemampuannya mengalakkan sikap minat membaca banyak ilmu yang boleh kita perolehi dengan pembacaan yang meluas seperti bak kata pepatah, selangkah ke perpustakaan, sejuta pengetahuan.  Dan dengan niat murni dan penuh ikhlas ini lah maka RISM melalui usaha Pengerusi Projek ini, iaitu Sr. Dr. Khoo Boo Kean telah menggerakkan Projek Perpustakaan RISM-ICI untuk Teratak Rahmat ini, dengan sumbangan tajaan dari ICI Paints Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Malangnya Dr Khoo tidak dapat turut serta walaupun beliau merancang untuk hadir bersama kerana menghadapi masalah kesihatan. Apapun, setinggi-tinggi penghargaan dan terima kasih kita kepada Dr. Khoo dan ICI Paints Malaysia.

Dengan adanya sumbangan kecil ini, mudah-mudahan ia dapat dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya  khususnya di kalangan penghuni Pusat in dan diharapkan Insyallah akan bertambah ramai lagi insan berilmu yang keluar daripada sini di masa akan datang.  Juga menjadi harapan kami agar usaha untuk mengemaskini serta memantapkannya  lagi kelak dapat dilaksanakan secara berterusan.

Di kesempatan ini, Pertubuhan ingin merakamkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan dan ucapan tahniah, kepada Pengurusan dan Kakitangan Pusat ini yang telah memberikan khidmat dan bakti, kepada penghuni-penghuni khasnya dan masyarakat  amnya. Semoga usaha ini akan berterusan dan kami doakan sentiasa mendapat keberkatan dan ganjaran setimpal dari ALLAH SWT.

Akhir kata, saya mewakili Pertubuhan Juruukur DiRaja Malaysia, mengucapkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan kepada semua yang telah menjayakan projek ini dan ribuan terima kasih kepada semua yang hadir ke majlis ini.

Indera Kayangan Nama Diberi

Negerinya Indah Penuh Budaya

Semoga Di Terima Sumbangan Kami

Walaupun Nilainya Mungkin Tidak Seberapa

Sekian, wabillahi taufik walhidayah, wasallamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

Terima kasih.”

RISM’S Patron’s Birthday

Today, the 11^th of December 2011 is the birthday of HRH the Sultan of Selangor.  Acknowledging the significance of this day, we took the opportunity to wish and send him our greetings and a birthday cake – a 7kg American chocolate cake specially baked by the Chef of AnCasa Hotel (formally known as Impiana Hotel).

American Chocolate Cake

HRH the Sultan of Selangor is our patron and we are certainly proud to have him as one.  In an interview with the various media on the occasion of his 10^th year on the throne and his 66^th birthday, he had emphasised that he does not want anything lavish for any function he attends and that organisers should stop giving him mementoes.  We are all aware that in many functions throughout the country, there tends to be extravagance, if we consider the amount of money spent on entertainers, the food, and even on custom designed apparels that can only be worn once.

In fact, HRH gave a suggestion that if a gift has to be given, he would prefer books, which he could read and later donate to the public libraries to be shared by the public. Considering this current stance by HRH, we should pay heed to this latest call by him and do the appropriate in future dealings with him.

One key point raised by HRH in the interview is the need to maintain peace and prosperity so that development and success could be sustained; and that he is grateful to all the services that had contributed to the development of Selangor.  And this would certainly include our services, the royal Surveyors!

RISM’s Technical Trip and the Revelation

The trip to the UK, Croatia and Bosnia at the end of October 2011 was in a way an eye-opener, particularly the technical visit to the headquarters of RICS and the session with RISM (UK Chapter) members.

We had in the session with RISM (UK Chapter) met up with the office bearers, members and potential members (about 30 of them altogether). At the same time interviews were carried out (by Dr Wan Maimun Wan Abdullah) of applicants who wish to become members through the special route.  This is the case where the graduates – in particular, the quantity surveying graduates – didn’t have the required number of years of experience to become members of RISM.

In conjunction with the meet-up session to provide for both the delegation and the RISM (UK Chapter) the opportunity of getting to know each other better apart from giving an ear to their problems, we also hosted them to a dinner.  During this gathering, I had briefed them on current developments of RISM as well as attempted to motivate them through my address as the President, so too with Dr Wan Maimun Wan Abdullah who had subsequently delivered a special dinner talk.  Personally, I am very much impressed with their deep interest which is apparent during the discussions, as well as the activities that they had carried out under the banner of RISM.

One rather conspicuous issue raised by them is the significant number of institutions of higher learning that were not included as recognized universities by RISM.  This leads to the possibility that the list of recognized universities was not being updated by RISM.  If it’s true, it is imperative then this has to be done soonest possible to ensure that qualified and competent surveyors are not denied their chance of becoming RISM members.  At the same time, certain requirements that have to be met, especially in the case of the quantity surveyors, have to be reviewed, considering that they are more of meeting the needs of the Board of Quantity Surveyors (BQSM).  Although fulfilling those needs would facilitate the registration of QS members with BQSM, it should however be viewed as a separate matter in the light of RISM’s endeavour to have its membership considerably increased.

The visit to RICS Headquarters was a revelation as well.  We were treated to a briefing on the operation of the renowned organization by Sr Ong See Lian - the President himself - apart from 3 presentations touching on aspects of quantity surveying, valuation and construction.  Evidently, to have looked up at RICS as a model professional survey organization is the right thing to do; the hard fact is that we are decades behind them. With more than 160,000 members in over 140 countries, it’s clearly an amazing achievement. The lesson that could probably be learnt is that we need to improve our quality of professionalism and market that throughout the world. This could lead to an increase in our membership and along these lines internationalization efforts become imperative.

It’s true that RICS started very much earlier than RISM, as some would say, but we cannot carry on sitting tight with this consolation and should endeavour to leap frog if we are to reach their level of achievement.  We certainly need to also find niche areas in our development – not necessarily following the business model of RICS.  And this would certainly make the need for a first-rate strategic plan more exigent. 

Digital Economy

Our Prime Minister said on 19 October 2011 that it was undeniable the next wave of economic growth would come from knowledge-based economy with digital technologies as a key driver of progress.  This was delivered at the launch of the 23^rd MSC Malaysia Implementation Council Meeting.  Nonetheless, he mentioned that Malaysia needs a solid push and a clear framework to build a digital economy, which will be an important enabler for the country’s economic transformation program. He had made similar announcement earlier this year at the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council Meeting in New York, whereby he mentioned that Malaysia is constructing an innovative digital economy framework that would serve as an additional enabler for its transformation.

The fact that he emphasized on Digital Malaysia to be seen as a pillar of the Transformation Program and the positioning of Digital Malaysia in the National Transformation Policy should be something that should cause surveyors to stand-up and take note -  in particular the land surveyors and valuers. The part which involves the land surveyors is obviously the aspect of collecting and managing geospatial information.  In this regards, it has now become common knowledge that as much as 80% or more of data collected has a spatial reference and that almost 80% of decision making in government needs spatial information.

How can this then be related to it being a contributor to the economy? From researches made, it can be summarized that there has been an increasing emphasis on geospatial data whereby organizations worldwide maximize and exploit geospatial information and technology across their enterprises. This include increased geospatial development and capabilities from large Internet providers like Google, MSN and Yahoo.  In addition, there has been sharply increased use of technologies such as GNSS, RFID, wireless LAN/WAN, intelligent sensors and cellular networks. Increasing systems and data integration focused on spatially-enabled enterprise information systems too comes into play in this area of digital technology.

The economic value of geospatial information in particular has been researched by some authorities. For exemplification, it’s noteworthy to consider referring to the one carried out in the United Kingdom, whereby the value of digital geospatial information in local public service delivery in England and Wales had been scoped for the study. This is in consideration of the fact that digital geospatial information is deemed an enabler of improvements in the local public service delivery, including in designing and managing services and infrastructure, monitoring local conditions and change, evidence-based decision making, and locating customer needs. Obviously, there are many other innovative use of digital geospatial information across other services as well.

The outcome of the aforementioned research shows that the creation and use of digital geospatial information had contributed £353 million (RM 1.6 billion) to the GDP for England and Wales in 2009 and that it would double up in 2015. We have to bear in mind that this study is scoped into applications confined to the local authorities. There are obviously many more other applications in other areas, which certainly is bountiful.

From another perspective, it was reported that Europe’s digital economy has grown in strength. In fact, it had spread throughout all sectors of the economy - reaching into all areas of their lives. It was said that ICTs have driven half of the productivity growth in Europe over the past 15 years, and that 6 out of 10 Europeans regularly use the Internet. And it was pointed out that if Europe wants to fully exploit the potential benefits of the digital economy, it must step up and provide faster broadband, improve citizen’s skills and encourage even more ICT innovation. Additionally, it is clear that the Internet has huge potential in the on-line market through e-Commerce / e-Business.

Malaysia would evidently be following suit in the aforementioned exciting developments. So, let’s go with the flow and pounce on the opportunities available, apart from contributing to Malaysia’s digital economy.

RISM’s 50th Anniversary and Royal Gala Dinner

RISM’s 50^th Anniversary and Royal Gala Dinner on 14^th September 2011 at Hotel Istana, Kuala Lumpur was undoubtedly much awaited and glamorous.  It was graced by HRH the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj.  Among dignitaries present include YAM Tengku Datuk Seri Ahmad Shah Alhaj Ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj, (the younger brother of HRH) and Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok, Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities and their spouses. There were also more than 900 guests including 19 Past Presidents of RISM, Councillors for the 2011/2012 and 2010/2011 sessions, Presidents of allied organizations as well as distinguished office bearers from the surveying fraternity, including Sr Teo Chee Hai, President of FIG and Sr Ong See Lian, President of RISM.

The highlights of the event include the presentation of two awards, with Datuk Prof. Sr Dr. Abdul Kadir Taib, the Director General of Survey and Mapping, Malaysia being named “Malaysian Surveyor of the Year” and Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development being made a honorary fellow of RISM. The event culminated with the ceremonial conferment of royal status to ISM where the royal scroll (watikah) was presented by HRH The Sultan of Selangor to myself, as President of RISM.

In my speech, I had touched on the background and history of RISM, its achievements and the way forward.  What could be memorable to HRH Sultan is the standing ovation given to him, but what is unforgettable to me is when he handed over the watikah and whispered his reminder that we should take good care of the bestowed status.  This resonated Senator Dato Sr Abdul Rahim Rahman’s forewarning in our earlier Council Meeting that “it’s difficult to attain the royal status but it’s easy to get it retracted” (Dato Sr Abdul Rahim has been instrumental in securing the conferment of the status).  This, we all have to bear in mind! 

I had in the speech emphasized on the commitments of RISM. They include our undertaking that we will strive to excel and contribute towards the country’s development, that we will endeavor to be a world–class professional surveying institution and a centre of excellence in surveying, and that we will continuously review our strategies in order to establish concrete way-forward action plans for RISM. And as the clincher, the pledge to uphold our professionalism at the highest level at all times. Accordingly, I hope all of us will contribute towards fulfilling those commitments. The contents of what I’d delivered in my speech would be evident from the text, reproduced below:

DYMM Tuanku,  Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is indeed an auspicious night for the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (or RISM), with Your Majesty gracing the occasion. On top of that, I am proud to say that this is the first time in Malaysia; a prestigious royal status will be officially conferred to a professional institution like ours. Akin to our close foreign counterpart, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (or RICS), which was granted royal status from Queen Victoria in 1881; RISM, after 50 years of existence, will this evening be formally conferred a similar status by His Majesty. It certainly will be a high point in the history of RISM. So, on behalf of the Institution, I wish to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, to DYMM Tuanku for this royal status conferment, and also for accepting to be our Royal Patron. 

DYMM Tuanku,  Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The surveying profession in our country, comprises of four distinct disciplines which are closely related to each other. The four disciplines are - Building Surveying, Geomatic and Land Surveying, Quantity Surveying, as well as Property Management, Valuation and Estate Agency Surveying.  RISM is the umbrella organization representing these disciplines or professions in Malaysia.  The membership of RISM, comprises primarily of surveyors in private practice; as well as surveyors in the public sector, statutory bodies, government-owned agencies, institutions of higher learning and the corporate sector. Currently, more than 6,000 professionals, are registered as members with RISM.

Over the past 50 years, the Institution has contributed to the economic growth of Malaysia, and in particular the development and management of our built environment. Surveyors of the four disciplines, have performed their duties with the highest professional and ethical standards.  They played a key role, in supporting efficient land markets and land use, as well as effective natural resource and environmental management. 

These functions underpin development and innovation, for social justice, economic growth and environmental sustainability. With a wealth of experienced and professional members, the Institution had provided quality services to their clients, and this include providing invaluable advices to the Government.

RISM started out with 2 professional bodies in 1961 – namely, the Malayan Institution of Surveyors, and the Institution of Land Surveyors. Subsequently, they merge to become the Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia on 19th June 1966. Even though RISM is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, the various professions within RISM itself, have been in existence long before that. Land surveying professionals, for example, have been surveying the nation since 1885. They had then provided the essential elements for land ownership, in the form of basic survey framework. This framework had been instrumental in catapulting the nation, from an agro-based economy to a manufacturing based economy, and currently to a vibrant service oriented one; which in turn will set the nation to becoming a developed and high income nation by 2020.

Since its formation in 1961, RISM leadership in the surveying field has progressed, from within Malaysia to beyond its shores. RISM has been involved and associated with various international Surveying bodies and Associations, such as the Commonwealth Association of Surveying and Land Economy (or CASLE), the International Real Estate Federation (or FIABCI), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (or RICS) and the International Federation of Surveyors (or FIG) - to name just a few. The association and alliance at the international level, evidently provides a good platform to strengthen relationship, between the various professional institutes, and help promote cooperation and upkeep of the surveying profession. 

In this regards, it would also be pertinent I believe, to mention some distinguished RISM members, who are currently leaders in the International arena. They include:

·         Past President, Sr Teo Chee Hai, who is currently the President of FIG;

·         Past President, Sr Ong See Lian, who is now  the President of RICS;

·         Past President Datuk Prof. Sr Dr. Abdul Kadir Taib, the current Chairman of the Asia South East and Pacific South West Division, of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names; and

·         Past President Sr Elvin Fernandez, the current Secretary General of ASEAN Valuer’s Association.

RISM is obviously proud of their achievements, and let us wish them all the best in their undertakings, and in carrying the Malaysian flag whilst performing their responsibilities.

DYMM Tuanku, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Institution has played a key role towards nation building. It has also contributed in setting standards for professional services and performance, as well as establishing ethics in the surveying industry. In the years ahead, RISM will certainly strive to excel, in upholding the surveying profession, and further contribute towards the development of the country. With the right mental attitude and commitment entrenched in all its members, RISM will continue to endeavour, to be a world class professional organization, and a centre of excellence in surveying. This vision to be the best - is well encapsulated in our strategic plan, and we will continuously work towards refining our strategies, in order to achieve this vision. 

To better serve the nation professionally, and to maintain quality amongst members, RISM frequently organises conferences and seminars, both at national and international levels. This allows members to further enhance their knowledge, in keeping with the advancement of technologies, and to be more innovative in delivering their services. The recently concluded International Surveyors’ Congress, organised by RISM in June 2011, was a case in point. It was a great success that surpasses all targets set, with large participation by both local and foreign participants. It was also duly acknowledged, as being a world class conference by dignitaries that participated, as well as related international industry media.

On the Education front, ISM has programs with secondary schools and Universities. This is to educate students and to impart knowledge on the role of the surveying profession in nation building. Besides that, ISM is also active in its corporate social responsibility, through its involvements in various charitable activities, as well as social programs.

DYMM Tuanku, Ladies and Gentlemen,

RISM is looking forward to a promising future. It is only right that we acknowledge the fact that we are building on a foundation laid by our founding forefathers. And this evening, I would like to request all members to once again renew a desire - a desire which first germinated in 1961 by our forefathers, the desire to see that the Institution continues to provide outstanding contribution and the endeavor to gain national and international recognition.  So, in the spirit of this 50th anniversary celebration it is my earnest hope that following this we will continue to strive for the attainment of the common goal for our future prosperity and the well-being of our beloved profession not only for the next fifty years but also beyond that. And in line with the Institution’s newly conferred royal status we all pledge to uphold our professionalism to the highest level at all times. 

Before I conclude, once again, on behalf of the Institution, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude to his royal highness, SULTAN SHARAFUDDIN IDRIS SHAH ALHAJ, IBNI ALMARHUM SULTAN SALAHUDDIN ABDUL AZIZ SHAH ALHAJ, for his graciousness in conferring the royal status to RISM, and for his acceptance to be our royal Patron. I wish to also thank Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Indera Setia Selangor, Tengku Datuk Seri Ahmad Shah Al Haj, ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Alhaj and Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Puan Indera Setia Selangor Tunku Irinah binte Almarhum Tuanku Ja’afar, our honourable minister and spouse, distinguished guests, fellow surveyors and all those present at tonight’s dinner. Thank you all for coming and being part of this evening’s memorable event. Last but not least, my sincere thanks and appreciation to the organising commitee members, and the Secretariat for their hard work and effort,  in  ensuring the success of tonight’s program.

 Thank you.

Ampun Tuanku, patik menjunjung kasih.

Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act

One other issue that was also touched on in the BIPC meeting held on 22 August 2011 was on the proposed Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act (CIPAA). On the said matter, the construction industry has been and is still fraught with payment problems, i.e. late payment, under payment and non-payment.  Consequently, in the early 2000’s, forums and discussions were held to resolve the issue.  By the end of 2005, the CIDB under the Ministry of Works formed a task force to formulate the CIPAA.  The objectives are to facilitate regular and timely payment, provide a mechanism for speedy dispute resolution through adjudication and provide remedies for receiving of payment.  The CIPAA formulated by the CIDB task force however, encountered opposition from the Bar Council and Malaysian Institute of Arbitrators. The Attorney General had in September 2010 himself issued two (2) directives, i.e. adjudication is confined to progress payment disputes and KLRCA is charged with nomination of adjudicators. 

In the midst of the concerned developments over the aforementioned issue, KLRCA too came out with its own proposed CIPAA. In gist, KLRCA’s proposed CIPAA, amongst others, seek to exclude consultancy and construction supplies contracts from the coverage of CIPAA, apart from excluding oil and gas, defense and low rise owner occupied residential construction projects.  In addition it seeks to exclude construction contract not made in writing as well as confining adjudication under the CIPAA to only progress payment disputes.  Apart from that, it seeks to negate the right to a dispute to adjudication if the same subject matter between parties is commenced in court or arbitration.  The Ministry of Works too does not appear to have a role to supervise the implementation of CIPAA.

However, the stand of BIPC is that the Ministry of Works’ proposed CIPAA should be accepted. We consider that it is a compromise, after taking into account the experiences and views as well as consensus of the construction industry stakeholders. On the progress, we took note that the matter has been referred to the Chief Secretary to the Government (as the PEMUDAH Chairman) through a letter dated 5 August 2011 sent by REHDA.  The letter requested the assistance of the Chief Secretary to help finalize and approve CIPAA (as amended from the Ministry of Works’ version), and to date there has yet to be a reply to the said letter.

Visit to Johor Branch

One of the matters that require needful attention is the state of affairs of RISM branches.  This had been raised by some Councillors in the previous sessions’ Council meetings as well as in the last RISM Annual General Meeting on 25^th June 2011.  The need for secretariat staffs, proper office space and premise are among the issues raised, but in the final analysis it apparently boils down to money matters in providing the concerned resource and facilities.

In conjunction with attending the invitational annual dinner of SISV in Singapore on 9^th September 2011, I and the Treasurer General had subsequently made a visit to the Southern Branch on 10^th September 2011, to better appreciate Branch operations. We were hosted to the visit by some of the Branch Excos including the Branch Chairman himself. From my observation, the office is something which the branch could be proud of – clean and orderly – a reflection of it being well taken care of.  If only other “deprived” Branches could have at least the kind of office space and facilities, then I believe there wouldn’t be much of a grouse coming from some of them, but obviously much has to be done to own such an office space.

Next, we visited the new office space that will be taken up at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Skudai.  This is located in a bungalow and is well placed to conduct professional activities of the branch, the only flaw probably being its distance from Johor Bahru city centre, where many Exco members probably reside.  Anyway, its proximity to UTM would certainly attract the attention and interest of students, which should be one of the target groups of RISM.  It would also appear timely for the Johor Branch office to be moved to the UTM campus, whilst income could be generated by renting out the existing office space in Johor Bharu.

The Johor Branch apparently has clearly lined up their activities for the 2011/2012 session. This should be applauded as it evidently is very well-planned.  The finances too is in very good shape as the branch had carried out and had meticulously plan to undertake income generating activities.  These without doubt were among the good practices which could serve as a model for other branches to adopt as well. In a nutshell, the Johor Branch has done well, and I hope they could at least sustain this, whilst endeavouring to move forward.

Building Industry Presidents Council Meet

            I had chaired the BIPC (Building Industry Presidents Council) meeting on 22 August 2011, upon request for having one from the BIPC Secretariat, to discuss issues affecting the industry. There were 5 issues tabled and discussed, i.e. on:

·       Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act

·       Role of Malaysian Service Providers Confederation (MSPC)

·       Joint Response for the Amended CIDB Act

·       Federal Agency on Housing

·       Build Then Sell (BTS) Concept

The issues on BTS Concept and role of MSPC had to be referred to the RISM Council for a stand to be adopted by RISM. This was made during the 2^nd RISM Council Meeting on 25 August 2011.

On the role of MSPC, MBAM (Master Builders Association of Malaysia) had raised their concern over the lack of effectiveness of MSPC (in which RISM is a member as well).  The main criticism was that MSPC did not perform its role of mobilizing service providers to prepare for the full liberalization of services. Thus, it was felt that BIPC should withdraw its membership from MSPC and that members of BIPC should have a common stand on this matter.

Evidently, there are two sides of the coin.  On the one hand, if withdrawal of membership is made, RISM would no longer need to pay the yearly subscription to MSPC. Additionally, concerns regarding the liberalization of professional services could be taken up through our own (RISM), as well as through BIM (in which we are also a member; noting that our Past President John Loh, is currently President of BIM).  Furthermore, the large scope of services covered by MSPC, including in business and professional, logistics, ICT, construction, education and training, environmental, healthcare, advertising, tourism and distributive trade services had rendered it ineffective, as a platform in formulating common strategies to deal with government. On the other hand, with continued membership, RISM could have another avenue to channel its grievances, at a cost of paying annual membership fee, which is not that very significant.

After due deliberation by the Councillors in its 2^nd RISM Council Meeting, it was decided that the proposal made by MBAM be supported and that withdrawal from MSPC be made en bloc by BIPC and its members.

As known to many, the BTS is a new concept introduced by government where housing developers have to complete a housing project before selling it to buyers.  The concept is supposed to be a panacea to prevent the incidence of abandoned projects to the detriment of buyers. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government has announced that the BTS implementation, as a sole system in housing development, will be made mandatory by 2015 despite objections from many parties, including REHDA. This issue was discussed at the BIPC Meeting to seek the possibility of BIPC coming up with a joint stand of objecting the government’s decision.

The BTS approach in fact is not entirely sound.  While it protects consumers from being stuck in case a development project is abandoned, it however cannot prevent a development project from being abandoned in the first place. Risks associated with property development would still exist with or without BTS approach.  These include increases in project cost, capacity of contractors, etc.  Under the BTS approach, the developer does not receive progressive payment from end-financiers and therefore requires higher financing from the bridge-financier in order to fund the project.

In the absence of progressive payments from end-financiers, it means that the developer would most likely require higher bridge-financing to complete the project.  To lessen the likelihood of project abandonment, the financier would most likely fund only experienced developers with adequate financial strength.  This invariably means that smaller developers would have great difficulty obtaining financing for a BTS project. The higher risk of financing a BTS project too can mean that the bridge-financier will increase its loan pricing. Since the purchaser/end-financier no longer part-finances the project construction, the developer would most likely pass this higher financing cost to the purchaser.

Furthermore, under the BTS approach, the developer has to shoulder the bulk of project financing.  This will likely lead to a smaller number of projects being launched as well as reduce the quantum involved given the smaller scale of launches.  On the whole, the aforementioned situation could lead to a higher price of houses that may be beyond the means of many.

Considering the above scenario and the fact that there maybe the introduction of an insurance scheme to protect house buyers in the case of abandoned projects, the 2^nd RISM Council Meeting had then decided that RISM take a position that the current practice of two systems, i.e. BTS and STB (Sell Then Build) be continually allowed to exist side by side.

WISHING YOU ALL SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI. MAAF ZAHIR & BATIN.

Envisioned Plans for RISM

              The organising of the 11^th South East Asia Survey Congress and 13^th International Surveyors Congress 2011 being successfully accomplished, the immediate task to embark on subsequently is the visioning for RISM. In reality, this has been undertaken earlier, as the commencement of Presidency begins immediately after the conclusion of the said Congress, and there wouldn’t be time for that if done sequentially. Although many action plans crop up in my mind, the vital areas that needed focus during the next one year have to be distinctively identified. Preliminary thoughts on this resulted in the following:

(i)      Review of RISM’s strategic plan

(ii)    Institutional Strengthening of RISM

(iii)   Reinforcement of Financial State of RISM

(iv)   Meeting Needs of Branches

(v)    Internationalisation of RISM

Anyway, a little bit more detail of the aforementioned plans envisioned for RISM would be evident from the acceptance speech that was delivered by me during RISM’s Annual General Meeting on 25th June 2011; the extract of which are as follows:

“Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is with great humility and a sense of responsibility that I stand here to accept this appointment, as the next President of ISM. Although most honoured by this, I do understand the load of responsibilities that I have to shoulder, considering that I have to, from now on, wear more hats. Nevertheless, it’s a commitment that has been made, and this service to the profession will be delivered.

ISM is a professional organisation that has a successful history – in fact 50 years of history, to date. And, it has an impressive track record of demonstrating all that is good about the surveying profession. We would not be in this position without the wonderful work, that has been accomplished in the past by the previous office bearers, who have worked hard for us. And our immediate Past President Surveyor Elvin is no exception. On behalf of ISM, I thank you Surveyor Elvin, for your energetic and committed stewardship, and I look forward to your continued contribution.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The first thing that I would like to share with you, is the significance of this opportunity, that I am amongst those that are accorded the privilege of celebrating ISM’s 50^th Anniversary, and the conferment of the royal status unto ISM with you. It will certainly be memorable, because it is not often that a new President, can get to congratulate members on its 50^th year of existence, as well as the prestigious bestowing of the royal status. So, CONGRATULATIONS, to all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Every organization, in whatever form they may be established, needs to have a vision and a viable strategic plan for the future. And in this quickly evolving world we live in today, those plans need to be continuously revisited and improved upon. We need to constantly challenge ourselves, to find ways to improve what we do, to making our profession and institution as strong as it can be in the future.

I recalled that ISM had formulated a strategic plan in 2005, and the plan stipulated the agreed vision, mission and values of ISM. So, what do we have as the components of our vision? We have firstly, “to be recognized as an innovative and dynamic world-class professional surveying Institution’; secondly ‘To provide quality, value-added and comprehensive services’ and lastly “To be the centre of excellence in surveying”. This vision should continue to inspire us, and should not be left to waste, as it is a vision that promotes a commitment to mutually support each other, in order that our common interest in seeing this institution progress, can be reinforced and nurtured from year to year.

In this regards, I believe there are 3 parts to the equation that would lead to the achieving of this vision. Firstly, the role of the President and Councillors or the Council, that has to be effective. The second part involves the continuing support and commitment, from the organization’s primary stakeholders, - that means all of the members of ISM - as we continue to move forward together. The third part, and probably the more significant piece of the equation, is to establish concrete way-forward plans, to take ISM to the next level. This part is synonymous with the saying “What's the use of running, if you are not running on the Right Road”.

So, within the next term, I hope to work together with all concerned, to review the Strategic Plan that was developed 5 years ago, in order to align it to current and future needs. With the level of progress that we have made so far, I see it as imperative to continue, to translate some of those areas into concrete Action Plans, that can potentially complement and reinforce the many efforts initiated by the Past President, and the Presidents before him.

Some potential Action Plans that comes to mind, which we can all work together towards addressing, include:

Firstly, looking into the needs of members at the Branches, as it is of importance that we cater for the needs of our members, who are based throughout the country. Secondly, we should make a significant effort to reinforce the financial state of ISM, as we will need the funding to drive meaningful initiatives. In this case, we will need to creatively explore other potential sources of revenue, in order that we can use them to drive more benefiting activities for members. Apparently, it is no longer sufficient for us to rely on current sources of revenue. Thirdly, to support our intentions, we will need to work on the institutional strengthening aspects of ISM, where we should be looking into enhancing the value-add services of the ISM secretariat.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Much effort has been made by our Past President Surveyor Elvin to internationalise ISM. This took into consideration the fact that the surveying profession in our country is robust, and that we ought to play a stronger leadership role in the region and internationally. 

This initiative too, is related to the winds of liberalisation, and our acceptance that we should embrace liberalisation, because it opens up opportunities for us. So, this endeavour will certainly be continued, and in this regards, I would like to thank Surveyor Elvin for offering to serve, and continue leading this effort, in the coming session.

The plans for the coming year should now be clear, and I very much hope that all will assist me in implementing them. I am well aware that if I want something done, the next person to ask is a busy person. I know I would be relying on the support of the Councillors, the divisions, the branches and committees. Most importantly perhaps, I would be relying on the support of the Secretariat, and I hope all this would be forthcoming!!!

Enough said, I think, it is now my pleasure to introduce to you the in-coming Council for session 2011/2012. With that, I TRULY look forward to seeing all of you in our consultation sessions, as well as our activities that we will line up over the next one year.

Thank you.”

11th South East Asia Survey Congress & 13th International Surveyors Congress

  
The most exhilarating moment for me at the onset of presidency is frankly the culmination of the SEASC & ISC 2011, that was held on 22-24 June 2011.  It was by far, the most successful event that I’d ever been involved in organizing.  It was also the biggest challenge that I’d taken up so far, considering the size of the undertaking, the crucial need to avoid losses to ISM, and at the same time meeting the personal target of achieving the maximum profit, which is intended to help fund ISM activities in the coming 2011/2012 session – this being the main motivation.

Amongst others, one of the set aims is to raise the International Surveyors Congress, which is an annual event of ISM, to the next higher level and really “internationalize” the event.  I had made early preparations, even before being appointed as the Deputy President and Organising Chair, i.e. in April 2010 with the setting up of a Pro-tem committee, in preparation for the task.

The preparations and time spent on this endeavour is indeed considerable, apart from the challenges encountered.  There were many disturbed moments arising from the worries of whether we could make it, in particular the uncertainty of whether we could avoid losses, as support was slow in coming.  Personal communications had to be made for this purpose and the vital task in particular is to convince the sponsors and exhibitors to participate, apart from obtaining the speakers and participants. Ups and downs aside, it was eventually a momentous success judging from the numerous positive feedbacks received, especially from the foreign dignitaries.  More so, as it breaks all targets set, predominantly the financial goal! Alhamdulillah, my prayers and the prayers of colleagues and all concerned were answered.

Evidently, the success would not have been able to be achieved without the excellent work and support of all involved, be they in the Main Organising Committee or those in the Sub-Committees, the President and Councillors and certainly the Joint  ISM-JUPEM Secretariat members who had worked tirelessly to make the event a successful one.  Also, the notable assistances provided by Sr Teo Chee Hai and Sr Tuan Syed Mohamad Nasir Syed Tahir as well as Datin Sr Faridah Mohammed, who are all most motivating and inspiring; not disregarding the sponsors, exhibitors and participants themselves, I would like to thank all from the bottom of my heart.

A summary of the outcome of the event would be evident from my handing over speech, provided below: 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamualaikum and good afternoon.

I believe most of us here are aware that it has been a tradition for the International Surveyors Congress to end without a closing session.  And this tradition is continued this time, although it has been combined with the SEA Survey Congress; as we will still be having presentations in the afternoon. Nonetheless, it is also a tradition of the SEA Congress that a handing over be made to the next host country of this event, i.e. the Philippines. And for that purpose, as Organising Chair of these combined congresses, I would like to give a short reflection of this unique joint effort.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Generally, the Congress was a great success as it breaks all targets set! We had over 20 invited speakers who are experts in surveying, who had come to share their knowledge, experience and expertise. And that includes 5 Presidents and President-elect of world survey related organisations, i.e. the FIG, RICS, ICA, GSDI and IAG, who had given talks in both the plenary and the parallel sessions.

All in all, there were 138 offered papers in the technical sessions, workshops, open forum and technology updates with 17 presented in the plenary, and the rest in the other sessions. The total number of participants exceeded expectations; there were 859 registered participants as at the end of yesterday; and if we were to include the exhibitors – the figure exceeds 1000. The exhibitions itself involved 38 exhibitors who had taken up more than 70 booths altogether.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The highlight of this event certainly include the Congress opening, where we had the Minister of Natural Resource and Environment, Dato Seri Douglas Uggah Embas perform the honour. In addressing us, he emphasised the need for us all to leverage on innovation to nurture sustainable construction. He also urged us, surveyors, to be well prepared to take on new challenges - to venture into new areas of discovery and development, through shared knowledge and through findings of creative innovations.

There were then the plenary sessions. And altogether there were five, with the first session focused on the theme of sustainability in land development. We have through this plenary session, been able to listen to talks about the World Bank support for sustainable land reform, about the Australian experience to improve land information management, and then the emphasis on the need to use GIS to help people understand complex problem and make better decisions.

We also had the opportunity to understand the various challenges, and issues associated in re-engineering SDI design - to support the new vision on spatially enabled government and society. We had been able to learn about the characteristics of modern geodesy, and how it was helpful to look at its applications and technologies, as belonging to the broad field of earth observation science.

Additionally, we learn that we could use social software on everyday consumer electronic devices, to provide products that might be otherwise impossible to deliver, due to economic and logistical reasons.

Land Surveying and geomatic are not the only areas covered by the speakers. There were presentations made relating to construction, quantity surveying, valuation, building surveying and management as well. Although we desire to have a good spread of papers and presentations coming from the other disciplines within our surveying fraternity, we unfortunately found them to be not forthcoming. 

Nevertheless, in the presentations that were made, we were informed of the need to encourage green behaviour, and that it’s important for the occupier of a building, to behave in a sustainable way within a sustainable building. We learned that the need for robust valuations run deep and wide in the financial system and that these valuations not only support banking systems, but also support good corporate governance, and is key to the efficient functioning of real estate markets. And in this context, continuously updated standards and best practice guidelines are important. 

We were additionally advised to study how the built-environment in general and the real estate industry in particular, should adopt new ways of thinking and doing things more strategically and more creatively, in order to remain relevant and ensure a sustainable future. We heard about the potential role of the Building Surveyor, from the perspective of adding value to client organisations, by the adoption of sustainable practice as well as about the efficient management and administration of defined spaces, including in coastal and marine spaces.

Obviously, the other highlight of this event is the parallel session. All in all, there were 28 parallel sessions altogether. Because of the large number of papers, some were presented in new flash session series that worked quite well and had also good attendance - in a number of sessions there were only standing places! And the biggest problem, I understand from the feedback received, was in selecting which session to follow.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Collaborative work had also been carried out in conjunction with this joint congress. Although the signing of Memorandum of Cooperation between the RICS and the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia didn’t take place, due to unforeseen circumstances, however the inking of MOC between the ISM and Ikatan Quantity Surveyor Indonesia (IQS) was accomplished, and this should facilitate more collaboration in between the two professional bodies. Apart from that we have the AFLAG Workshop on Liberalisation and Framework for Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs), which was held on 21^st June (2011), followed by its 42^nd Council Meeting. And in addition, the 9^th Tripartite Meeting of the ACLSS, SAJUTA and PEJUTA also took place on the same day. 

Finally, I hope we had also been fruitful, in creating the right environment for networking, where friendships could be renewed, and new relationships could be forged. Amongst others, we’ve had the PEJUTA Welcome Dinner, the Congress Dinner and the China Forum Reception for that purpose.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As I wouldn’t have any other opportunity after this, so I would like to take this chance to thank each and every one of you here, for coming to this event and for making it a success. In particular, I would like to thank all the speakers, support organisations, our strategic and media partners, and certainly our sponsors and exhibitors. Again, as I’d mentioned earlier, this is not the Congress closing address, and as such do stay on and continue your conferencing, until the end of the day.

Thank you.