Tech transfer must by foreign engineers
Published on: Thursday, July 12, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: The Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) Sabah branch is ready to offer its views on the way forward in regard to the Project Development Partner (PDP) concept of the Pan Borneo Highway project which is currently under review. "As we have experienced the process and procedures throughout the implementation from design to construction, our share of thought and opinion for the betterment of the project will be beneficial for the State Government to make way for the review exercise," said ACEM Sabah Immediate Past Chairman Amirul Hisham Ismail. He said the design consultants of all packages which mostly comprise ACEM Sabah members have given their design input to Pan Borneo Highway PDP and are currently supervising the on-going packages.
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"It is hoped that with this exercise, the project cost can be optimized without compromising the quality and quantity of the work and complete within the specified time frame," he said, following a courtesy call by members on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal. The purpose was to invite Shafie as Guest of Honour for the 25th anniversary celebration on July 21. The entourage comprised ACEM Sabah chairman Ir. Tan Kok Jyh, Amirul, past chairman Ir. James Yong Hon Min and other exco members. ACEM Sabah and IEM Sabah which promotes the learning of engineering as profession also urged the State Government to make it mandatory for foreign engineers to train local engineers especially in the current high impact market – Oil & Gas and Power Utilities to ensure a smooth transfer of knowledge and technology that could benefited the local industries in the long run.
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Immigration control for foreign professionals and engineers is an option which the state government could consider to achieve this objective. In return, a sustainable development of local talent as a continuous program would greatly benefit the state with new jobs creation for employment thus generating economic return as part of the socio-economic development for the people of Sabah. They congratulated Shafie on being appointed as the new CM and expressed that professional engineers would take up the challenge to contribute to the state in policy making.
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Active participation of ACEM Sabah members have been in technical committees in City Hall and Penampang District Office as industrial players present in meetings in the approval of plans. In the past, ACEM Sabah members were appointed as councillors in numerous council namely Tawau, Tuaran, Penampang, Putatan and Lahad Datu. The contribution of ACEM Sabah individuals still continue in various workshop and technical engagements organised by the state and federal government. ACEM Sabah involvement with Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) for 1DCP 1Champion is one of the examples. With the current pool of over 40 panel consulting engineering firms in Sabah, ACEM Sabah wish that the state government together with Ministry of International Trade (MITI) could bring forward the competent and experienced local consulting engineering firms and professionals as a multidiscipline conglomerate for business networking to Asean countries as a way forward in creating a Blue Ocean Strategy for the aspiring local professional engineers to export their services abroad. The creation of wealth for the locals will be borderless as a way forward towards liberation of services in Malaysia. Meanwhile, Shafie voiced his concern on the quality of work delivered by the contractors which must be closely supervised by the consulting engineers. This is to ensure the client will receive a good quality product complying with the specifications spelt out in the contracts. "The concern is not for the engineers, contractors or even ministry involved in the project, but to the end-user which is the people." Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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