IEM Forum on a Review of The Registration

IEM Forum on a Review of The Registration of Engineers Act (1967) (The 2007 revision version) 23 rd October 2008 (Thursday) A Panelist-primer by: Engr. Rocky H. T. Wong, PEng, FIEM Vice Chairman, IEM Standing Committee on Corporate Affairs

My intervention is the reproduction of the Message by the BEM President in the “Autumn Issue” (i. e. Sept to Nov 2008) of the BEM’s “The Ingenieur” Vol. 39. 1. The BEM has come a long way these 40 -odd years since the Registration of Engineers Act was passed by Parliament in 1967.

2. From just being the domestic registrar of engineers from the beginning; the BEM is today the Profession Regulatory Authority (PRA) for Malaysian engineering practice in a “flattened” borderless and globalised knowledge economy wherein trade liberalisation is the order of the day. 3. The BEM, besides being the traditional guardian of public interests over engineered facilities and assets, is further challenged by both domestic and international push-pull factors, among which include the roles of: -

u u A facilitator to improve the Government public delivery system vis-à-vis the CCC policy; An acknowledged authority in the formation of knowledge workers (equipped with engineering technology and innovation skills) certified and benchmarked to international bestpractice standards in line with the aspiration of the nation; and

u The Malaysian “trade-in engineering services ambassador” to the various international fora, such as those at the WTO, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) underpinned by the ASEAN Charter, other bi-lateral, plura-lateral, multi-lateral FTAs and others; Malaysia’s interests for both the export of engineering services and certain national safeguards, leading to “Non -conforming Measures” for ‘in-bounds’ have to be ‘championed and balanced’ respectively; an unenviable position.

4. Perhaps with the support of all concerned stakeholders, the BEM will rise to the occasion to provide the leadership, and point the future direction for 21 st century engineering practice in Malaysia. 5. It is perhaps an opportunity for registered engineers, and the public to reflect on the prevailing paradigm in which Malaysian engineering practice prevails. Thank you