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!