PENAMPANG: The Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (Acem) Sabah Branch has proposed the establishment of a specialised High-Risk Technical Committee during a courtesy visit to Penampang Municipal Council (MPP) President Noemi Dyena Johntren.
The delegation was led by Acem Sabah Chairman Benny Song and included Datuk Dr Amarjit Singh, Tan KJ, Ir Lee Tet Fon and Tan Kok Yon.
Benny said Penampang plays a key role in the expansion of Greater Kota Kinabalu and is seeing a shift towards high-rise and more complex developments, which require stronger technical oversight.
He explained that the proposed committee is not meant to delay development or engineering plan approvals, but to ensure that engineering designs and mitigation measures are properly addressed at the early stages.
The committee would focus on projects in sensitive areas such as hillslopes and flood-prone zones, where specialised technical input is essential for public safety.
To ensure efficiency, he said the committee could operate on an ad hoc basis to handle specific high-risk submissions without affecting standard applications and approvals.
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Acem Sabah also proposed a joint technical sharing session between the Council’s Planning and Engineering Departments and Acem members to enhance administrative coordination.
Benny noted that a similar initiative with Kota Kinabalu City Hall earlier this year helped align expectations between the authority and consultants.
“The goal is simple: efficiency,” he said, adding that early alignment can reduce man-hours, minimise repeated revisions and avoid backlogs.
He added that Acem Sabah views the Council as a key partner in the State’s development and is committed to ensuring infrastructure projects are approved and implemented through a smooth and professional process.
