ingenieur vol 62 april-june 2015 ingenieur vol 62 april-june 2015

ENGINEERING PRACTICE

INGENIEURTHEM A G A Z I N E O F T H E B O A R D O F E N G I N E E R S M A L A Y S I A

KDN PP 11720/4/2013 (032270)L E M B A G A J U R U T E R A M A L A Y S I ABOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA

VOL.62APRIL-JUNE 2015

Cover photo by Ir. Fong Chew Chung

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2 VOL 62 APRIL JUNE 2015

CONTENTS

5 Presidents Message

BEM News6 The Registration of Engineers

(Amendment) Act 2015

Announcement7 Publication Calendar

Cover Feature9 Transforming the Construction

Industry14 QLASSIC - Giving Quality

Workmanship a Good Name

Special Report20 Services Sector Blueprint27 Cross Border Trade in

Science, Engineering & Technology Professional Services

International Forum30 Boao Forum for Asia Annual

Conference 2015

Update32 Recent Amendment to

Uniform Building By-Laws on Demolition of Buildings

Guidelines36 Accessibility and Facilities

for the Build-Environment for Persons with Disabilities in the Asia-Pacific Region

9

77

3Engineering & Law42 Employers Rights to Set-Off Payment

Claims by Contractor

Feature48 5S Five Keys to a Total Quality

Environment56 Lean Product Design62 District Cooling Systems Industry: Is

Regulatory Framework the Answer?

Corporate World68 Huawei Globalisation

Investment71 Taking Greater KL to New Heights74 Guidelines for Principal Hub Incentive

Engineering Features77 1400-year old Stone Arch Zhaozhou

Bridge, Hebei, China

Engineering Nostalgia80 Raja Laut Road 1967

80

6630

68

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EDIT

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LEMBAGA JURUTERA MALAYSIABOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA2014-2015

PRESIDENTYBhg. Dato' Ir. Hj Annies Bin Md Ariff

BOARD MEMBERSYBhg. Datuk Wira Ir. Md Sidek bin Ahmad YBhg. Dato' Ir. Dr. Abdul Rashid bin Maidin YBhg. Dato' Prof Ir. Dr. Hassan bin BasriYBhg. Dato' Ir. Zainor Rahim bin IbrahimYBhg. Dato' Ir. Lim Chow Hock Ir. Dr. Abdul Majid bin Dato' Abu KassimIr. Prem Kumar VasudevanIr. Mohtar bin Musri Ir. Zuraimi bin SabkiIr. Yahiya bin Ag KaharIr. Tan Yean ChinIr. Gopal Narian KuttyIr. Gunasagaran KristnanIr. Prof Dr. Mohd Zamin bin JumaatAr. Dr. Tan Loke Mun Sr. Nik Zainal Alam bin Hasan

SECRETARYIr. Ruslan bin Abdul Aziz

REGISTRARIr. Hizamul-din bin Ab. Rahman

The Ingenieur is published quarterly by the Board of Engineers Malaysia (Lembaga Jurutera Malaysia) and is distributed free to registered Professional Engineers. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers. BEM invites all engineers and readers to contribute relevant articles and views to the Publisher.

PUBLISHERLembaga Jurutera MalaysiaTingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKR, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, 50580 Kuala Lumpur.Tel: 03-2698 0590 Fax 03-2692 5017e-mail: [email protected]: www.bem.org.my

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: Inforeach Communications Sdn BhdPRINTER: Art Printing Works Sdn Bhd, 29 Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

EDITORIAL BOARDADVISORYBhg. Dato' Ir. Hj Annies bin Md Ariff

CHAIRMANYBhg Dato Prof. Ir. Dr. Hassan bin Basri

EDITOR YBhg. Dato Ir. Fong Tian Yong

EDITORIAL MEMBERSProf. Ir. Dr. K S KannanIr. Prem KumarIr. Chan Boon Teik

PUBLICATION OFFICERPn Nik Kamaliah Nik Abdul Rahman

5PRES

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The recent amendments to the Registration of Engineers Act call for higher requirements for local practising engineers who may be facing competition from foreign firms following liberalisation. Taking a positive view in looking beyond our shores, the market is suddenly expanding many fold. However, the demand for standards and competency from our practising engineers will be correspondingly high.

Engineering service is one among the services liberalised under the ASEAN Economic Community. It is also among the programmes listed under the Five-year programme for Economy and Trade Co-operation 2013-2017 between the Government of Malaysia and China. With more bilateral or multi-lateral trade in service agreements in sight, more liberalisation of trade in services involving the engineering sector may be expected.

The recently concluded BOAO Forum for the Asia Annual Conference 2015 focused among its agenda on the Overland Development Belt and Maritime Silk Road initiatives and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The introduction of these new sources of fund will translate into massive infrastructure development programmes stretching across Asia, Europe and

Africa involving construction or upgrading of roads, ports, railways, telecommunication and other engineering facilities. These matters are also among the declarations from the APEC Leaders 2014 that called for strengthening connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region as well as facilitating the Global Value Supply Chain. The opportunities available to the engineering fraternity are thus huge and lucrative as the new world order.

However, bigger market size means bigger pool of international competitors. It is up to our local players to brand themselves with a higher level of professional engineering practice to share that piece of the pie or be left irrelevant.

To keep our engineers abreast of the development around our region, the Publication Committee introduced a new section called International Forum in this issue. Salient points of important forums that have an impact on the regional economy will be published as engineers have to take cognizance of the new trade order to realize new opportunities beyond our shores.

Dato Ir. Hj. Annies bin Md Ariff President, BEM

ENGINEERING PRACTICE

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BEM

NEW

S

The Registration of Engineers (Amendment) Act 2015 received Royal Assent on February 12, 2015 with February 24, 2015 as a date of publication in the Gazette. The Act will come into force on a date to be appointed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette.

The passing of the amended Act is a milestone for the engineering profession in Malaysia as it marks the start of the liberalisation of engineering services. Various barriers against entry for foreign engineers and foreign firms will be lifted. In particular, this applies to countries which Malaysia has committed International Free Trade Agreements with, namely ASEAN countries, China, Australia, Republic of Korea, Chile, Pakistan, Japan, New Zealand and India. In reciprocity, these markets are expected to be open to Malaysian engineers and firms.

The inclusion of the registration of Engineering Technologists and Inspectors of Works as part of the amendments to the Act, is to ensure quality of engineering works at all levels and phases.

The Board will also introduce a new licensing system for Professional Engineers who wish to be Submitting Persons in the consultancy practice, by providing a new category of registration under

THE REGISTRATION OF ENGINEERS (AMENDMENT) ACT 2015

the Act, i.e. Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate.

Within one year after the Act comes into force, existing Professional Engineers must decide whether to maintain their registration as Professional Engineers or apply to be registered as Professional Engineers with a Practising Certificate. Existing Professional Engineers will be exempted from the Professional Competency Examination (PCE) provided that they apply for their Certificate within this one-year period. New Professional Engineers admitted after the Act comes into force will have to pass the PCE if they wish to be Submitting Persons in the consultancy practice.

The Board will make a public announcement once the operation date of the Act has been endorsed and gazetted by the Minister of Works.

N.B. The Act A1479 Registration of Engineers (Amendment) Act 2015 can be accessed from e-Federal Gazette (Attorney Generals Chambers of Malaysia) official portal at http://www.federalgazette.agc.gov.my/eng_main/main_akta.php?jenis_akta=Pindaan

ANN

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TINGENIEURTHEM A G A Z I N E O F T H E B O A R D O F E N G I N E E R S M A L A Y S I A

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GLOBALIZATION

VOL.61JANUARY-MARCH 2015

PUBLICATION CALENDARThe Ingenieur is published quarterly by the Board of Engineers Malaysia. The following are the themes for the coming issues.

Vol. 63 July Sept. 2015 Capacity Building

Vol. 64 Oct Dec. 2015 Waste Management

Articles and editorial contributions relevant to the themes are welcomed, but the decision to publish rests with the Editorial Board.

Advertising inquiries are also welcomed. Please refer to the BEM advertisement in this issue for the latest rate card and booking form.

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9Interview with CIDB Chief Executive, Dato Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Judin bin Abdul Karim

TRANSFORMING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRYThe Construction Industry Transformation Programme will run in parallel with the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020). Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) met Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Chief Executive, Dato Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Judin bin Abdul Karim to find out what lies ahead and how the construction industry can be transformed into a world class sector.

Dato Sri Prof. Ir. Dr Judin bin Abdul Karim sees a challenging journey ahead in transforming the construction industry through the soon-to-be launched Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP), which runs parallel with the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020).

Over the past 10 years, following the Construction Industry Master Plan 2006-2015 (CIMP), many Government programmes were introduced to improve safety, productivity and quality in various aspects of the construction industry. However, the image of the industry still leaves much to be desired. It continues to be plagued with long-standing issues like over-dependence on foreign labour, construction mishaps and complaints on poor quality houses. How can the industry be transformed?

Historical practices need to change, declares Dato Sri Judin, referring to professional practices in the construction value chain which do not work towards quality assurance. He says it begins with integrity of various professionals engaged in construction. Who is doing the work? Who got paid for it? he asks, calling for professionals to bear responsibility and accountability in all aspects of work. Professionals need to uphold standards and move away from scarce resources, he adds.

Dato Sri Judin acknowledges that some areas of change require alignment with Government

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policies. One of these is the issue of taxation on construction machinery which contributes to higher costs and deters the use of Industrialised Building System (IBS). He notes that there are talks with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry to iron out this dichotomy.

Will there be any new pieces of legislation? Dato Sri Judin believes that the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and the Uniform Building By-Law 1984 already spell out the penalties for many offences. However, he points out that the standard of housing for foreign construction workers is generally deplorable. As such, he reveals that there will be legal amendments to incorporate minimum standards of housing for foreign workers.

Similar to the CIMP, the new transformation programme also focuses on productivity, safety and quality improvements. However, there is added emphasis on sustainability and internationalisation.

In the area of productivity, Dato Sri Judin reveals that the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) will work with CIDB in a move to set up a Single Submission Authority to deal with all

channels for construction projects. If realised, this would be a giant leap in speed and productivity for the construction industry.

According to Dato Sri Judin, there is a push from the private sector towards quality assurance. He states that big developers and consultants are keen to differentiate themselves using quality. As such, the Qlassic scheme, a tool to assess and track workmanship for buildings, proposed by CIDB will get wider support. If developers want to ensure it happens, it will happen, he stresses. In time to come, this scoring system is expected to be used to rate developers and be tied to Sales & Purchase agreements. This may serve as a catalyst for other developers and contractors to climb up the quality ladder.

Benchmarking would be difficult without uniform standards. In this context, Dato Sri Judin reveals that CIDB is working towards a National Standard Specification which will streamline standards of workmanship in all states in the country.

Aligning with Malaysias aim of being a developed nation by 2020, Malaysian construction industry players need to up their ante to be world-class. The CITP thus incorporates

Dato Sri Judin sharing a light moment with BEM Board Member Ir. Prem Kumar.

11

sustainability and internationalisation among four of its major thrusts. We need to raise standards at home so that they can compete overseas, comments Dato Sri Judin. CIDB will be implementing apprenticeship programmes to transfer skills of international construction players to local counterparts as well as training programmes developed in partnership with world-class players to further build the expertise of Malaysian companies.

Besides being competitive, companies have to embrace sustainability as there is worldwide concern about environmental degradation and the need to conserve resources for future generations. Dato Sri Judin notes that CIDB is working with Harvard University to come out with a Sustainability Rating Tool. This will assess sustainability in terms of design, construction and subsequent maintenance of buildings, cities and infrastructure. The Government sector is expected to take the lead and introduce it gradually to the private sector.

Besides the CITP, Dato Sri Judin touched on other topics. Here are excerpts from the interview:

It is almost 10 years since the Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP) 2006-2015 was launched. Would you like to highlight the achievements, milestones and shortfalls?CIMP had 21 strategic recommendations to be implemented over the 10 year period up to 2015. About 95% of the identified activities have been implemented and the strategic recommendations have resulted in a number of achievements including, the introduction of programmes to improve the performance of the industry such as the Safety & Health Assessment in Construction (SHASSIC), Contractor Performance Assessment Framework, Green Performance Assessment System and many more. However, more can be done to improve the construction industry and CIDB together with Works Ministry (KKR), is now taking the lead in engaging relevant Ministries, agencies and the private sector in the development of the Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP). Lessons learnt from the CIMP experience is taken on board in developing CITP including:-

1. Identifying and prioritising only key initiatives that are aligned with the overall national agenda and will 'move the needle',

2. Putting in place a strong governance body, and

3. Including the industry from the planning phase to collaboratively drive changes.

We understand that CIDB is planning to launch their Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP). Can you elaborate on the new focus and strategic thrusts?There are four strategic thrusts under the CITP which together will transform the industry from one that is perceived as 'dirty, difficult, dangerous' today to an industry that is clean, with a highly capable workforce and providing careers that are coveted by local Malaysians.

The strategic thrusts focus on:1. Raising the overall productivity level of the

industry; 2. Ensuring Environmental Sustainability

measures are in place in the design, construction and subsequent maintenance of our buildings, cities and infrastructure;

3. Focusing on improving the competitiveness and subsequent ability of our construction players to internationalise; and

4. Improving the overall Quality, Safety and Professionalism in the industry.

We understand that the CIDB Act was amended in 2011. What are the salient points and what does it aspire to achieve?Some of the important aspects of the amendments to Act 520 are to increase CIDB's scope to regulate standards on materials, quality and safety. These include CIDB having the authority to penalise contractors that consistently do not comply with regulations and standards; and to audit for and ensure use of standard-compliant materials, whether local or import, in construction.

How would you assess the capability of the Malaysia construction industry compared with ASEAN countries and beyond?Malaysian construction companies are generally considered competitive within the ASEAN region, but we still have a long way to go when compared to competitors in more developed markets including the Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. CITP focuses on growing Malaysian companies' capacity and competitiveness by driving and supporting

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compliance to more stringent quality requirements and getting international certifications such as OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001, all in addition to raising productivity and market share. By 2020, our target is to transform Malaysia's construction industry to be at par with the very best of ASEAN competitors.

There has been much publicity on IBS which is also one of the items in the Construction Industry Road Map. Have we achieved the target? What are the issues and challenges?The level of IBS adoption today is not something we are fully satisfied with. An important part of CITP will be to further drive IBS adoption in the industry. The main challenge for IBS adoption is the inadequate take-up; costs of many IBS components are not yet at the level that will move the industry; while IBS suppliers generally have not achieved scalable demand. CITP aims to break this vicious cycle. Firstly, we will build scalable demand for key IBS components leveraging public projects with a different contracting approach.

Secondly, we will implement various economic mechanisms to help lower the net cost of IBS adoption for the industry. Thirdly, we plan to require IBS adoption in the private sector to further increase the scale, and effectively lower construction cost for the whole industry in the longer term.

The presence of foreign contractors especially from China is increasing in numbers and size? What is the impact on local contractors and what can we learn from them?Competition is inevitable. We are opening up our economy and international players will invest and compete in our local market. What is important is that we learn from our competitors and continue to grow our competitiveness against these international players. Under CITP, we plan to have programmes to facilitate and strengthen our Malaysian companies including the SMEs. We are implementing apprenticeship programmes to help transfer skills of international players to local counterparts as well as training programmes developed in partnership with world-class players in construction and its vertical industries to further build the skill set and expertise of Malaysian companies.

From CIDBs database, the number of Malaysian contractors venturing overseas has dropped drastically since 2010. Why do you think this is so, and how do we encourage our contractors to venture overseas?One of the reasons is that the domestic market has had enough demand to serve Malaysian construction companies. However, it is critical that Malaysian companies continue to grow their presence in the international market. Otherwise, many will face challenging times when the local construction industry slows down.

As part of CITP, we will be supporting such expansion overseas especially in markets which we will prioritise where Malaysian companies will have opportunities to grow. We are also developing financing mechanisms and hope to work with partners such as EXIM bank.

With the formation of the Malaysian Export Council in December 2014, is there any role for CIDB in promoting our construction industry overseas?Yes, CIDB hopes to have CITP as part of the agenda under the Malaysian Export Council.

Many incidences of work site accidents were reported over the last few years. What is CIDBs role in mitigating such incidences which do not augur well for the local construction industry?CIDB will be partnering with various agencies to tackle safety related issues. First, we are enhancing our safety training curriculum in partnership with world-class players in the field. The courses will be interactive, and offered in the languages and context that all workers can understand and relate to. Secondly, we are increasing the number of trained and accredited safety and health officers, safety site supervisors, and working with DOSH to also increase safety inspectors to provide the right level of guidance on construction sites. Furthermore, we are enhancing the training curriculum of these safety professionals to better cater to the specific needs of construction sites. In addition, we will be working with key regulators to encourage industry players to include safety compliance as an important aspect of their operations. CIDB will also be launching promotion campaigns to inculcate safety as the overriding priority in everyone's mind.

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For quality of the construction particularly the housing sector, is there any new strategy to improve it. How effective is QLASSIC?QLASSIC is an effective tool to assess and track workmanship of contractors for buildings. We plan to facilitate adoption of QLASSIC and make it one of the standard ways of measuring performance. For example, QLASSIC information can be provided in sales and purchase agreements for consumers to know the quality of the buildings/houses they purchase; QLASSIC scores can also, be part of assessing applications for contractor financing and that can potentially lead to better interest rates for those with high scores. Overall, we are increasing the transparency on contractors' performance for the benefit of consumers and the public, so that they understand their full rights to receive higher quality housing.

For the 11th Malaysian Plan (2016-2020) which will end on the target date that Malaysia aspires to be a developed a nation, will there be any input from CIDB for the above five-year plan.CITP is very much aligned with the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK11). CITP will run in parallel with this Malaysian Plan, and contribute to achieving several of RMK 11 priorities.

As part of CITP, we will be

supporting such expansion

overseas especially, in

markets which we will

prioritise where Malaysian

companies will have

opportunities to grow.

Dato Sri Judin and CIDB partners launching the International Construction Week 2014

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GIVING QUALITY WORKMANSHIP A GOOD NAME By Construction Industry Development Board

Malaysia has enjoyed a strong run in the construction industry since independence in 1957. From an average RM51 billion construction output in 2001 - 2005, it contributed RM128 billion in 2012 and RM131 billion in 2013. In 2014, construction work for 6,927 projects worth RM136 billion were kicked off, of which 78% involve private sector participation. It is clear that the nation has come a long way in just 50 years and will continue to move strongly till the end of the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020).

While the figures are exceptional and the industry has continued adopting great technological advances, there are still certain aspects that appear to be lacking and cannot be ignored such as quality workmanship. The focus here is primarily on the quality of workmanship of building projects.

Before 2006, there was no regulation that standardised the practice of workmanship and the quality of workmanship fluctuated from one developer/project to another with numerous complaints from property owners on various defects. As a proactive approach, CIDB formed

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Component

Residential Building Non Residential Building

Category A

(Landed housing)

(%)

Category B

(Stratified housing)

(%)

Category C

Commercial / Industrial building)

(%)

Category D

(Public, Commercial / Industrial building)

(%)

Structural works 15 20 20 20Architectural works 70 60 55 50M&E works 5 10 15 20 External works 10 10 10 10

Total score 100 100 100 100

a technical committee comprised of various industry players and stakeholders to undertake the development of the quality assessment system to regulate the practice as well as to deliver a product of good value to the end-user.

The end result was the Quality Assessment System for Building Construction Works or QLASSIC (pronounced as Q-lasik), which is an independent method to assess and evaluate primarily on the quality of building projects that is based on a standard called CIS 7:2006. The standard was further improved and enhanced to suit current industrial practices, resulting in the publication of CIS 7:2014.

SCOPE OF QLASSIC

The standard sets out the quality of workmanship for various aspects of construction for the general building works. QLASSIC covers four main components: Structural works, Architectural works, M&E works and External works. Assessment of workmanship is carried out based on this standard and marks are awarded if the workmanship complies with the standards. These marks are summed up to give a total quality score (%) for the building project.

IS QLASSIC REALLY NECESSARY OR EVEN IMPORTANT?

From industry input, it was found that QLASSIC has benefitted the industry in many ways. Construction industry players who have started using QLASSIC find that they cant do without it. The initial assessment is usually quite low, ranging between 50% and 60% (the ideal score is above 70%). After the first assessment, they challenge themselves to do better and better. The good news is, they have!!

When put into practice, the benefits are far-ranging such as:-

Motto Doing things right the first time and every time is a motto that encourages developers and contractors to carry out actual works right from the beginning. The result? Less money is spent on rectification and correction works.

Yardstick QLASSIC enables developers/contractors to measure their performance. Example of one prominent developer; in its first project it scored poorly at 58%. Equipped with knowledge and further understanding of QLASSIC, the developer scored 65% in the subsequent project, and improved further to 76% in another development. This demonstrates continuous improvement with subsequent projects, and the

Allocation of weightage for components of building construction work according to building category

Note: Category C is without centralised cooling system, Category D is with centralised cooling system

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developer striving to create a product with quality workmanship.

High regard The QLASSIC measurement defines the intention and seriousness of being a good developer as it requires investment of time and skill to score higher. It also demonstrates a developers intention to be responsible and the desire to deliver high quality workmanship.

Credible When shared openly with the public, the scoring measurement shows the developers

GRAPH 2 : QLASSIC AVERAGE SCORE

and contractors to be credible and trusted in the publics eyes.

Reputable contractors A reputable developer has shared that QLASSIC is a reliable tool in determining and awarding contracts to contractors. In fact, some players have stipulated in the contract the score that must be achieved (usually 70% and above) as a way to gauge their workmanship and criteria for awarding future contracts.

Marketing tool High QLASSIC scores enables developers to use it as part of its advertising and promotion tool for new projects. It is also a good time to educate the public on the significance of high QLASSIC scores, simultaneously earning the potential buyers trust and confidence.

Partnering Encouraging a collaborative attitude between developer, consultant and contractor will bring them together to achieve shared goals and improve cost, time and quality. This approach has definitely shown positive results through the QLASSIC score testament.

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I&P Group Sdn. BerhadDato Ir. Jamaludin OsmanGroup Managing Director

Embarking on QLASSICWe embarked on QLASSIC in 2008 as we recognised that it is one of the tools to gauge the quality of workmanship of our products.

Benefit to end-user Purchasers or owners are always happy to receive a building that is well constructed. As such, QLASSIC is a good tool to be used to ensure the desired quality is achieved.

NAZA TTDI SDB BHDMegat Roslan Abdul RahmanChief Development Officer

Benefitting from QLASSICIt opened our eyes, in terms of catching up with the big boys. We are still on the learning curve because the construction industry is far and wide ranging. You are only as good as your last project and you need to do better in your next one. The only way to do that is to benchmark yourself against something, and we think that QLASSIC is that benchmark.

Future of QLASSICQLASSIC will provide the nation a platform to go international. There are already many Malaysian companies that have international presence. But we now come equipped with quality so we are able to compete with the best internationally.

Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS)Ir. Hj. Abdul Ghani HashimDeputy General Manager

We introduced an incentive programme to contractors for all our projects. We now have imposed penalties to show that we are serious about our quality. So, if the contractors do not achieve our minimum target, they will be penalised.

QLASSIC made mandatory?Of course it should be made mandatory, if only for the sake of the end-users. The developer has to be responsible and profesional in constructing quality products before handing over the keys to purchasers.

Sunway Construction Sdn. BerhadKwan Foh KwaiManaging Director

QLASSIC training as investmentThe QLASSIC training for our staff is not a cost, but an investment. We take it as part and parcel of continuous improvement, so we cannot deem it as a cost factor.

Message to the industryI would like to encourage smaller contractors to improve, not just the big boys, so that the whole industry will also improve.

Thoughts and observations on QLASSIC

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Misalignment of the wall squareness (exceeded 4mm over 300mm)

Incomplete grouting around the soap holder in toilet

Inconsistent joint size between tiles on the wall

Rough jointing around the M&E fittings

Unevenness of the internal wall (exceeded3mmover 1.2m)

Rough jointing between ceiling tee and ceiling board

Corrosion/rusty marks on door hinge

Wall tiles sound hollow when tapped using a tapping rod

Stain mark found on the window glass

DEFECTS: WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR?

From something as small as your door creaking to something as major as cracks in the walls, defects are an anathema. QLASSIC assesses and evaluates a wide range of workmanship quality in new buildings. Here are a few examples on what you should not be accepting.

Photos courtesy of Canaan Building Inspection & Rectification Services

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QLASSIC JOURNEY

Introduced in 2006 with the standard CIS 7:2014

Low pick up by the industry and only serious players adopted it as the standard was not mandatory

2006-current day - Serious players improved their workmanship and created teams for internal assessments before the formal assessment

July 2014 A communication campaign began to create awareness among industry players, the public and the media

October 2014 - Dato Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof, Minister of Works launched the enhanced QLASSIC logo while pledging that QLASSIC will be given more attention for the good of the industry. The improved and updated CIS 7:2014 was also launched and topped with MoU signing by 10 players (Sime Darby Property Bhd, Sunway Construction Sdn Bhd, Putrajaya Holdings, Naza TTDI, I&P Group, Metro Kajang, Dynasty View Sdn Bhd, Worldwide Holdings Berhad, MK Land Holdings Berhad and DBKL)

November 2014 Media awareness campaign on QLASSIC in Kuala Lumpur created a better understanding of QLASSIC and its importance for the industry and the public

2015 - Plans to make QLASSIC mandatory by 2020

February 2015 - Media awareness of QLASSIC campaign in Sabah and Sarawak, resulting in good coverage

To get a copy of the CIS 7:2014 for your reference or for more information, contact Safety & Health and Quality Division, CIDB at 03-4047 77317 or email [email protected]

UPDATE, UPGRADE AND ENJOY QUALITY CONSTRUCTION

As QLASSIC is a voluntary assessment method, generating lots of buy-in and QLASSIC champions are critical success factors. Generally, developers are keener to adopt QLASSIC as they would like to deliver good quality products to the end user. This move will further push contractors to utilise skilled workforce, modern techniques and proper supervision in order to achieve desired results. It is also thought that adopting QLASSIC will increase the overall cost of construction. The irony is that good quality products were meant to be delivered to the end user in the first place.

CIDB has launched a communication campaign to create awareness amongst industry players as well as educating the public on good quality workmanship. More developers and contractors are expected to adopt QLASSIC. The trend had already started with signing of MoUs with 10 serious players in October 2014, including Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).

The call is for more industry players, big and small, to update and upgrade their knowledge on QLASSIC as well as to put the knowledge into practice. This will ensure that industry players will not only be relevant, but also enjoy a piece of the construction industry pie while the nation pursues its ambition to become a developed nation in 2020 and beyond.

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SERVICES SECTOR BLUEPRINTThe Government has formulated the Services Sector Blueprint to facilitate structural adjustment that is needed for the sector to move up the value chain. This Blueprint focuses on four policy levers, namely, internationalisation of service providers, effective investment incentives, enhancing human capital development and promoting integrated sectoral governance reform.

The Blueprint was developed by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and released in March 2015. BEM has obtained approval to reproduce the Executive Summary which provides an overview of the Blueprints recommendations.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY1.1 Background

Malaysia aspires to become a high-income advanced nation by 2020. To fulfil this objective, the services sector was identified as an important component and one of the main pillars of Malaysias economic growth.

In accordance with this aim, the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) has developed a detailed blueprint consisting of policy recommendations. This Services Sector Blueprint will supplement existing programmes and may be updated with the latest developments in the sector as and when they occur. In order to ensure certainty in its execution, the recommendations encapsulated within this Blueprint will be incorporated into the 11th Malaysia Plan (11th MP).

As one of the major engines of growth in the nation, the Government has targeted the services sector to further drive economic growth and achieve the lofty aim of advanced nation status by 2020. The policy directions to be taken henceforth as well as recommendations to strengthen the sector are outlined in the sections to come.

These policy directions were formulated as a solution to the following challenges that have thus far prevented the services sector from fulfilling its full potential and competing with service sectors from more advanced economies. Challenges faced by the sector are as follows:

Economic fundamentals: The services sector faced setbacks in terms of talent procurement due to skill shortages and skills mismatch between the output of higher education providers and industry needs. In addition, there is also lack of access to soft technology for SMEs.

Policy ecosystem: The sector continues to be highly regulated, which weighs down productivity and adds to cost of doing business.

Active promotion policies: Majority of service providers are domestically oriented. Only 66 services firms export their services. In addition, there is poor cross agency visibility in incentives management.

This Blueprint identifies the challenges and proposses four policy levers:

Internationalisation strategy: There is a clear need for internationalisation of services provider to remain competitive and penetrate new markets.

Investment incentives: The effectiveness of investment incentives can be further improved with central coordination and management of the various incentive schemes, a focus on quality, transparency and a more robust evaluation of current and future incentives scheme.

Human capital development: Investing in talent is essential in ensuring the success of the services sector. Recommended measures include, accelerating human capital development, having a more dynamic manpower planning and fostering greater colloboration between industries and education instituitions.

Sectoral governance reform: The need to reform existing regulations is important to further develop the services sector. Initiatives inlude accelerating governance reforms and improving the transparency of regulations to provide an environment that is competitive and supportive to business.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


INGENIEURServices Sector Blueprint

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Policy Recommendations

The following is a series of policy recommendations across four Policy Levers:

International- isation

strategy

Step up international-

isation of services providers

Improve market access

Proactive negotiating approach to open new markets (e.g. through bilateral negotiations or GLC investments abroad)

Facilitation of cross-border transactions through harmonisation of regulatory principles and mutual recognition of professional qualifications

Capacity building Enhance firm level skills and knowledge to increase export

effectiveness

Export promotion Improve knowledge exchange especially on regulations Consider usage of export matching grants

Investment Incentives

Effective management of incentive framework

Review incentive framework to be more effective &

performance driven

Impact evaluation of current and new incentive schemes Improve coordination of incentive schemes by consolidating under

single entity Greater transparency through yearly tax publications and disclosures Focus on incentive schemes that generate quality, vs. investment

amounts

Human Capital

Development

Foster dynamic enabling

environment for knowledge

intensive services

Accelerate human capital development

Increase availability of professionals for knowledge-intensive sectors

Develop dynamic manpower planning tools to reduce skills mismatch

Emphasise the skills most critical to success in the services sector

Facilitate accessto hard and soft

technologies

Promote partnerships between firms and universities, including, foreign universities

Promote access to management technologies by facilitating access to information on how successful SMEs acquired managerial know-how

SectoralGovernance

Reform

Design and implement reform

strategies at sectoral level

Design & implement strategy for sectoral governance reforms

Prioritise sectors, taking into account technical and contextual considerations

Implementation timing to prioritise quality and direction of reforms Consider common elements of individual sector-level strategies

Ensure coherence with domestic regulations

& practices

Mapping of regulations and regulatory governance Reforming overall framework through which regulations are made

1

2

3

4

Figure 1

23

11

Objectives of the Services Sector Blueprint

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Blueprint will :

Identify key impediments in further developing the services sector.

The ultimate goal of the internationalisation strategy is to significantly increase the number of service providers in Malaysia as well as broaden their reach. Doing so will require Malaysia to address existing gaps in two areas, namely, internal capabilities and external readiness.

Specific recommendations include: Creating partnerships of strength to

increase competitiveness among services providers

1. Large Corporation-SME partnership programme

2. Consortium promotion programme 3. Subcontracting & partnership exchange

programme

Raising capabilities across a broad group of services providers

4. Embed ICT programme 5. Training programme for new exporters6. Account management programme 7. Enhanced franchise development programme

Opening up and harmonising markets through G2G negotiations

8. Structured consultations, detailed statistics, exper ienced negotiator pipeline and quality implementation

The Internationalisation Strategy

29 action plan items have been identified across the four Policy Levers (refer to Figure 1). The action items include enhancements to existing programmes and new initiatives that have been developed by benchmarking against best practices observed globally.

1.2 Summary of Recommendations

Creating an export-oriented services sector economy, in particular broader base

of SME services providers

External readiness

Internationalisation

Internal capabilities

Market access

Marketknowledge

Marketing& tradesupport

Financialresources

Peoplecapabilities

Technology &

infrastructure

Domesticmarketbacking

Financialresources

Figure 2

Addressing critical funding gaps9. Services sector credit guarantee scheme

Enhancement of the Services Export Fund10. Launching the enhanced Services Export

Fund11. Enhancing delivery of training

Present a set of horizontal strategies and action items for implementation.



12

Investment IncentivesThe effectiveness of the incentive mechanism will be enhanced by increasing tranparency, eliminating duplication and linking to performance. The following three components will be addressed:

i) Improving coordination;ii) Enhancing current programmes; and iii) Emphasising quality and performance KPIs.

Specific recommendations include:

Improving the central coordination and management of the provision of incentive schemes.

Improving incentive coordination through the establishment of the Incentive Coordination & Collaboration Office (ICCO).

Ensuring quality & performance through enhanced pre-application, approval & monitoring.

Ensuring agencies prioritise quality KPIs during the programme design process.

Systematically monitoring incentive performance.

Improv

e coordination

Emphasise on quality & perfo

rmac

e KPI

s

Enhance programmes &

close gaps

Raising the ROI on our current incentives, ensuring most critical areas are

sufficiently supported

Figure 3

Human Capital Development

Human Capital Development aims at producing, attracting and retaining skilled talent. This will require Malaysia to address five important factors, namely: i) graduate industry readiness; ii) enhancing existing workforce; iii) tapping into alternative talent pools; iv) dynamic manpower planning system; and v) quality of the general education system of which is addressed in the National Education Blueprint prepared by the Ministry of Education.

Specific recommendations include:

Improving the industry readiness of new graduates by :

Accelerating the delivery of general employability skills.

Fostering greater collaboration between the industry and HEI.

Improving the impact of bridging programmes

Raising the profile of the TEVT pathway

Eliminating mismatch between demand and supply in the labour market. Providing an integrated planning approach to

national manpower planning.

Unlocking the potential of alternative talent pools by:

Facilitating more access to highly-skilled foreign talent.

Investing in development and training for all employees.

Providing a conducive living environment.

*

*

* HEI - Higher Education Institute, TEVT - Technical Education and Vocational Training

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Meeting the quality and quantity demands of high knowledge, high income services sector economy

Enhancingof currentworkforce

Tapping intoalternative

talent pools

Graduate industry

readiness

Dynamic manpowerplanning system

Quality of general education system1

1 Addressed in the National Education Blueprint

Sectoral Governance Reform

Figure 4

Raising the bar for productivity and capability of the current workforce by:

Encouraging SMEs to provide training for their employees.

Addressing critical incentive gaps especially with regard to human capital Providing co-funded scholarships to ensure

supply of top talents to local services providers

Research Incentive Scheme for Enterprises.

Ensuring the removal of structural barriers and outdated regulations in order to create an efficient and flexible business environment for the private sector

Reform existing regulations

Expanding and accelerating NPDIR rollout

Accelerating sectoral regulatory reforms

Establishing best practices for future regulations

Introducing regulations portal

Figure 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



14

The objective of the Sectoral Governance Reform is to cultivate an efficient, facilitative policy environment and machinery that will provide a thriving and competitive environment for the services sector to develop positively. This will require Malaysia to address two areas, namely, reforming existing regulations and establishing a body of best practices for future regulations.

Specific recommendations include: Accelerating and increasing the efficiency of

sectoral governance reform.

Ensuring that the best regulatory development practices are in place for new regulations by expanding and accelerating the adoption of the National Policy for the Development and Implementation of Regulations (NPDIR).

Increasing the transparency, accessibility, and user-friendliness of regulations by introducing the MyRegulations portal.

Policy lever Enhancements New ideas / programmes

Internationalisation Strategy

1.4 | Embed ICT programme1.7 | Enhancement of the franchise development programme1.8 | Opening up and harmonisation of markets through

G2G negotiations1.10 | Enhancement of the Services Export Fund1.11 | Enhancement of training delivery

1.1 | Large Corporation-SME partnership programme

1.2 | Consortium promotion programme1.3 | Subcontracting & Partnership Exchange1.5 | New exporters training programme1.6 | Account management system1.9 | Replication of credit guarantee scheme in

services sector

Investment Incentives

2.2 | Instill quality and performance based KPIs 2.1 | Incentive Coordinating & Collaboration Office (ICCO)

Human Capital Development

3.2 | Greater industry-HEI collaboration3.3 | Improve impact of bridging programmes3.4 | Raise the profile of TEVT pathway3.5 | Enhance existing components of manpower

planning system3.7 | Further facilitate access to foreign talent immigration3.8 | Invest in development / training across all

employees3.9 | Provide suitable living environment3.11 A | Expand STAR programme

3.1 | Improve delivery of general employability skills

3.6 | Integrated planning approach to national manpower planning

3.10 | Encourage SMEs to provide training to their employees

3.11 | Co-funded scholarships3.12 | Research Incentive Scheme

Sectoral Governance Reform

4.1 | Accelerate sectoral governance reforms4.2 | Expand and accelerate adoption of NPDIR for

new regulations

4.3 | Portal to increase regulation transparency

Summary of overall recommendations

Figure 6

27

This paper highlights the three accords, viz. Washington Accord (WA), Sydney Accord (SA) and Dublin Accord (DA), under the ambit of the International Engineering Agreements/Alliance (IEA) and how they contribute to the overall Quality Assurance/Quality COntrol (QA/QC )delivery system involving Trade in Services (TiS). In particular this refers to Trade in regulated Science, Engineering, Technology (SET) Professional/Business Services identified in WTO/GATS context defined as Engineering Services (CPC 8672), Integrated Engineering Services (CPC 8673), and Construction & Engineering Services (CPC 511 to CPC 518). Cross Border Trade in Services (CBTS) flourishes/thrives within bi-lateral/plural-lateral/multi-lateral rules centric environment determined by participating nations/economies in a democratic manner. In turn, the accreditation process prescribed by the three accords [each with its knowledge profile] encourages universal human rights ~ democracy in education ~ with measurable outcomes based education operating in a Quality System Framework with companion CQI/OFI agenda. The win-win and free, or freer market should embrace/promote inclusiveness. Therefore, any follow-up Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) (after a Free Trade Agreement or FTA has been inked in) should deal with Engineering Services Professionals (ESP) whereby prescribed accreditation of all three accords WA, SA & DA should be encapsulated in the benchmarking (equivalence) of engineering team of the three grades of ESP ~ with room for progression; more so if the TVET system was adopted to run in parallel with academic (via IHL) programmes. Its all a question of self-directed and life long learning with the goal of remaining competitive and being relevant which is key to be successful in TiS.

Trade in Services: Trade in services as per GATS/WTO; comprises

four modes of delivery:1. Cross border delivery;2. Cross border consummation;3. Cross border mobility of capital/investment;

and4. Cross border mobility of natural persons.

Free Trade Agreement: Free Trade Agreement vis--vis Trade in

Services deals broadly with: Market Access; Commercial Presence ; and National Treatment .

Modes 1 and 2 equate to Market Access ~ hardly regulated and no point regulating.

Mode 3 equates to Commercial Presence ~ regulations apply; including investment policies.

Mode 4 equates to National Treatment ~ regulations on registration/certification/license apply.

Domestic Regulations: Most public interest professional/business

services are regulated by domestic regulations; e.g. SET &/or Engineering and Construction services.

Domestic regulations subject to Good Regulatory Practices tests.

Various degrees of limitation applied to Market Access, Commercial Presence and National Treatment; depending how free the FTA is; or negative list stated for those three dimensions of market opening.

Regulated professional services ~ start with duly accredited qualification by respective

CROSS BORDER TRADE IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Professional ServicesBy Ir. Rocky H.T.Wong

This article is based on points in a paper presented by the author at the 2nd ASEAN-Korea Engineering Forum & Roundtable Meeting on June 16-17 2014, ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia. As there is extensive use of acronyms, a list of terms is provided at the end of the article.

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Profession Regulatory Authority (PRA) for registration/licensing.

Regulated Business Services (e.g. Trades delivered by skilled workers) begin with certification of tradesmens competency by the respective Regulator.

Engineering Services Professionals: In cases of Engineering, Integrated Engineering,

and Construction Services, members of Team delivering said services are known as Engineering Services Professionals (ESP) ~ a term used in ASEAN MRAs on Engineering Services.

International Engineering Agreements and the three accords:

Under International Engineering Agreements/Alliances, there are three tertiary qualification benchmarks in engineering and technology. WA (1989, for engineer); SA (2001, for engineering technologist); and DA (2002, for technician).

It started with the Washington Accord: It began 1989 with Washington Accord; three

years after 1986 launch of GATTs eight-year Uruguay Round (UR) that gave rise to WTO on 01/01/1995.

Under the influence of American Financial Services Lobby, the 40th President of USA caused the US to introduce Trade in Services at the start of UR.

GATT and accountants promoted Trade in Services:

What is Trade in Services (TiS)? a question many GATT member countries in 1986 had little or no clue about at all.

Since 1947 GATT had been dealing with trade in goods and merchandise whereby at the border, tariffs (for import duties) could be added/applied.

Before 1986 TiS was recognised by Malaysia as invisible trade; measured by Balance of Payments Account.

Others (besides American financial services players) soon realised and learnt what it takes to trade in services; amongst them Engineers & Contractors.

Engineers played catch-up: Professional engineering and construction &

engineering services had been traded as long as financial services. But without projects dealing with, or in engineering & technology, there would be very few financial transactions for financial services suppliers piggy backing on multi-million dollar contracts.

Engineers realised when engineering services are traded; the qualification and experience of the natural person, the engineer, providing the services matter.

WA therefore recognises substantial equivalence in the accreditation of qualification in professional engineering normally of four years duration.

SA & DA; each of the three accords has its prescribed knowledge profile.

The Team delivers SET services: WA is for trade in science, engineering and

technology professional services (TiSET services); so are SA and DA. All the three accords cover ESPs who, as a Team, deliver SET services.

Inclusiveness for seamless trade: For trade to take place, there should be

inclusiveness; more so for seamless trade as covered by FTA as in the AEC, MPFTA, ASEAN-China FTA, etc.

In any FTA there are chapters covering, among others, Cross Border Trade in Services, Market Access and Commercial Presence (as can be found in Investments); whilst National Treatment will be treated in a follow-up discipline specific MRA that should be broad based to cover trade in science, engineering and technology professional services delivered by ESPs whereby all the three IEA accords (e.g. WA, SA & DA) will be used to determine the accreditation of qualifications of the three grades of the SET team.

Democracy and human rights: Trade flourishes in an open/free & fair market

underpinned by rules (improved with time) determined by trading partners in a democratic manner.

By extension of win-win inclusiveness for trade, WA, SA & DA subscribe to the universal human

29

right concept of democracy in education as against the old belief in elitism in education (that breeds win-lose exclusiveness trade).

Outcome Based Education and KSA: Democracy in education need not necessarily be

inferior to elitism in education. This is especially so when an Outcome Based Education (OBE) [with measurable objectives and outcomes] is adopted to attain Blooms Taxonomy of KSA (learning) domains in a triangulated Quality based System Framework which aims to produce wholesome graduates motivated/inspired to pursue self directed and life long learning with targeted attributes. [e.g., for WA, 12 attributes have been determined]. These should be coupled to CQI and OFI to ensure the bar can be raised - incrementally to be in tune with the demands of the prevailing state of the art for SET services thus remaining relevant.

Then there are Repair, Overhaul & Maintenance Services:

SET professional services need not necessary be for design and construct only they are also/often employed for Repair, Overhaul and Maintenance (ROM) services; to keep assets at optimum condition for safe and efficient performance.

Summary and Conclusion: In summary: the three accords under IEA form

the accreditation benchmarks for ESPs of an engineering team trained to perform SET Professional Services: Engineering Services (CPC 8672) and Integrated Engineering Services (CPC 8673); together with a third set of services as in: Construction & Engineering Services (CPC 511 to 518). These three sets of SET services are necessary for various other SET sectors such as; Communication Services, Environmental Services, Transportation Services, Energy generation and distribution services, etc.

The three accords are for Trade in Services. Trade, especially free trade must be inclusive instead of exclusive. Therefore any MRA (as part of National Treatment for an FTA) being framed (or already framed) should cover all members of the engineering team who collectively go by the term ESP.

ACRONYMS

AEC ASEAN Economic Community

CBTS Cross Border Trade in Services

CQI Continuous Quality Improvement

DA Dublin Accord

ESP Engineering Services Professional

FTA Free Trade Agreement

GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services.

GATT General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade

IEA International Engineering Alliance/Agreements.

IHL Institutions of Higher Learning

KSA Knowledge, Skill, Attitudes

MPFTA Malaysia-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement

OBE Outcome Based Education

OFI Opportunity for Improvement

PRA Profession Regulatory Authority

ROM Repair, Overhaul and Maintenance

SA Sydney Accord

SET Science, Engineering & Technology

WA Washington Accord

WTO World Trade Organisation.

TiS Trade in Services

TVET Technical & Vocational Education & Training

Engineers realised when

engineering services are

traded; the qualification

and experience of the

natural person, the

engineer, providing the

services matter.

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The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2015 was held in Boao, Hainan Province, China on March 27-29 ,2015. The conference adopted the theme Asias New Future: Towards a Community for Common Destiny and was attended by 2,786 political, business and academic leaders as well as journalists from 49 countries and regions. Among them were seven presidents, four Prime Ministers including Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib bin Abdul Razak who delivered the keynote address.

This was the 14th BFA Annual Conference. The four-day conference focused on several key areas such as the Silk Road Economic Belt and a 21st century Maritime Silk Road as well as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and ASEAN Economic Community. Among the sessions were those on a Green Environment, Technology and Innovation for a sustainable future, World Investment Organisation & the Global Investment Agenda, Energy Resources, New Energy Vehicles, Asset Management boom and Internet Governance.

As a short introduction to BOAO, BFA is a non-Governmental and non-profit organisation founded in 2001. BFA is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals.

The Boao Forum is the most prestigious and premier forum for leaders in Government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share visions on the most pressing issues in this

dynamic region and the world at large. The Forum is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals.

Initiated in 1998 by former President of the Philippines Fidel V Ramos, former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke, and former Prime Minister of Japan Morihiro Hosokawa, the Boao Forum for Asia was formally inaugurated in February 2001. Countries across the region have responded with strong support and great enthusiasm, and the world has listened attentively to the voice coming from a tiny, quiet and scenic island located at the southernmost part of China - Boao, the permanent site of the Annual Conference of the Forum since 2002.

Background of The BOAO Forum for AsiaThe last half century has witnessed the remarkable progress made in economic and social development by Asian countries. As a result, Asia's influence in international and regional affairs has been steadily increasing. The economic take-off in East Asia over the past two decades, which is perceived by the world as the East Asian miracle, led to the rapid development of the overall Asian economy. This has made Asia prominent among the regions in the world, which have undergone the most dynamic economic development.

Although Asian countries have participated in many international conferences and organisations such as APEC and PECC, Asia as a whole lacks

Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2015

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a Forum, led by Asians and guided from the perspectives of Asian interests and views to provide opportunity to discuss exclusively Asian issues and enhance co-operation and exchanges among Asian countries, and between Asian countries and other parts of the world. Against this backdrop, a proposal was put forward to establish an Asian Forum, similar to the World Economic Forum headquartered in Davos.

The idea, once it was put forward, was warmly received by the other Asian countries. On Oct 8, 1999, Hu Jintao, Chinese vice-president at the time, met with Fidel V Ramos and Bob Hawke who came to China especially for the Asian Forum. After the briefing by initiators of the proposed forum, Hu Jintao said that the Chinese Government always supported and attached importance to multi-level, multi-channel and multi-type of regional co-operation and dialogue. The establishment of the Forum would be conducive to promoting understanding, trust and co-operation among the countries of the region. The Chinese Government would study the idea prudently and positively and would provide all necessary support and co-operation. Meanwhile, Hu Jintao emphasized that since the recognition, understanding and support of the related Governments was vital to the establishment of the Forum, China would wish to get herself further acquainted with the responses of other countries on this issue. This was followed by positive responses from the 25 countries in Asia.

Against this backdrop, the Inauguration Ceremony of the BFA was held on Feb 26-27, 2001 in Boao, Hainan province, China. Former leaders from 26 countries also graced the occasion as Guests of Honour by addressing the Ceremony. The BFA was officially launched at the Ceremony. Declaration of the BFA and Guidelines of the BFA Charter were adopted during the Ceremony. The Inauguration was a great success and gained recognition from the international community.

Organisation StructureThe General Meeting of Members (GMM) is the ultimate authority of BFA. The GMM should be held once every calendar year.

The Board of Directors shall be the supreme executive body of the GMM and shall be responsible to the GMM. The members of the Board of Directors shall be elected by a simple majority of the Full Members at the GMM. A meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held at least once a year coinciding with the GMM at the headquarters of BFA.

There shall be a Council of Advisors, consisting of 26 chief representatives from 26 BFA Initial Countries. The Council of Advisors shall meet as the need arises to provide consultation and suggestions on significant issues and matters affecting BFA.

The Secretariat shall be the standing executive body of BFA, responsible for the daily operation of the BFA.

Research InstituteA Research Institute was formed to provide important intellectual support of BFA. Its functions include the following:

To identify the theme and sub-topics for the annual conference;

To develop and provide economic forecasting on issues consistent with the goals and policies of BFA;

To provide intellectual resources for BFA conferences, seminars, and workshops;

To provide human resource development programmes for members and other partners oof BFA;

To establish a virtual network and a clearing house for other research and training institutes in Asia and elsewhere.

Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak delivering a keynote address

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The collapse of the Jaya Supermarket building in 2009 during the demolition stage that caused the death of seven lives prompted the Government to commission a Special Committee under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government to investigate and suggest recommendations to ensure safety of the workers and the public. As a result of the recommendations, the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 (UBBL) was amended to introduce a new provision to ensure the demolition of a building is carried out in a safe and orderly manner.

The proposed amendment to UBBL on Demolition of Buildings together with a few other amendments were tabled in 2012 to the National Council for Local Government (NCLG) whereby all Menteri Besar and Chief Ministers of the states are members of the Council under the provision of Article 95A of the Constitution. The proposal was approved by NCLG and it was then left to various states of Peninsula Malaysia to adopt and gazette. As at March 1, 2015, Selangor (Sel PU 142) and Trengganu had gazetted the amendment.

Details of the amendment to UBBL on the Demolition of Buildings are:

PART 1A DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS

Application of this Part:2A. This part shall apply to the demolition of a

building before reconstruction thereof.

Preparation of a submission of demolition plan etc.2B. (1) Before the demolition is commenced, one

copy of the detailed demolition plan together with a copy of the stability report prepared in accordance with MS 2318:2010(P) shall be submitted to the local authority.

(2) The detailed demolition plan shall bear a certificate by the submitting person as in Form A of the second Schedule to the effect that the details are in accordance with MS 2318:2010(P) and that the submitting person accepts full responsibility.

UPD

ATE

Recent Amendment to Uniform Building By-Laws on Demolition of BuildingsBy Amanda Lee Siek Hsia

Jaya Supermarket collapse

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Power of local authority to reject the demolition plan and stability report. 2C. Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of by-law

2B, the local authority may examine and in so doing may reject any demolition plan or stability report which is not in accordance with MS 2318:2010(P) and if it rejects such plan or report it may require such submitting person to resubmit a new demolition plan or stability report in respect of the rejected portion.

Notice of commencement or resumption of building operations2D. (1) Notice of the intention to commence or

resume the demolition of a building required under subsection 70(9) of the Act shall be made in Form B of the Second Schedule and shall include particulars of the intended work.

(2) If the work is not commenced or resumed on the date given in such notice, a further notice in Form B of the Second Schedule shall be given before the work may be commenced or resumed.

Method of demolition2E. The demolition works shall conform to MS

2318:2010(P).

Duties of a submitting person2F. (1) The submitting person certifying the plan

under paragraph (2) of by-law 2B shall be responsible for the proper execution of the demolition works and shall continue to be so responsible until the completion of the demolition works unless- (a) with the agreement of the local

authority, another submitting person is appointed to take over; or

(b) the local authority agrees to accept his withdrawal or replacement at the request of the owner provided that the demolition works has not commenced.

(2) Where the local authority agrees to accept the submitting persons withdrawal or replacement under subparagraph (1)(b), the demolition works shall not commence until another submitting person is appointed to take over.

(3) Where any submitting person who has submitted the demolition plan has died or become bankrupt or cannot be found or has been deregistered from the register or for any other reason ceased to practice, the owner or occupier shall as soon as possible appoint another submitting person to act for him and to submit adequate evidence to the local authority of the circumstances.

Exemption from this Part2G. The local authority may if it deems fit

exempt any minor demolition work from the requirements of this Part.

Demolition of building in progress

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34 VOL 62 APRIL JUNE 201540 VOL 4 MARMAY 2013

The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM),formed in 1972, is a statutory bodyconstituted under the Registration ofEngineers Act 1967. BEM falls within theambit of responsibility of the Minister ofWorks. Its primary role is to facilitate theregistration of engineers and regulate theprofessional conduct and practice ofregistered engineers in order tosafeguard the safety and interest of thepublic.

Under BEMs registration record are15,000 Professional Engineers and71,000 Graduate Engineers in variousdisciplines and industries throughoutMalaysia.

Published quarterly by BEM, The Ingenieur,reaches out to the engineering communityvia a 13,500 print version as well as toother readers via an e-format.

Readership is estimated at 50,000.

For advertising and subscription inquiries, please contactBoard of Engineers MalaysiaTingkat 17 Ibu Pejabat JKR, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, 50580 Kuala LumpurEmail : [email protected] : +603-2610 7095/96/97/98Tel : +603-2691 2090Fax : +603-2692 5017

Where Engineers Excel

The content in this magazine, written mainlyby the engineering community andtechnical professionals, provides first-handand valuable knowledge. There is a wealthof information on: Infrastructure design and

development Professional practice Government policies and guidelines Legal issues Engineering personalities Management Continuous development of engineers.

For advertising and subscription inquiries, please contactBoard of Engineers MalaysiaTingkat 17 Ibu Pejabat JKR, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin, 50580 Kuala LumpurEmail : [email protected] : +603-2698 0590 / 603-2610 2090Fax : +603-2692 5017

The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM),formed in 1972, is a statutory bodyconstituted under the Registration ofEngineers Act 1967. BEM falls within theambit of responsibility of the Minister ofWorks. Its primary role is to facilitate theregistration of engineers and regulate theprofessional conduct and practice ofregistered engineers in order tosafeguard the safety and interest of thepublic.

Under BEMs registration record are15,000 Professional Engineers and81,000 Graduate Engineers in variousdisciplines and industries throughoutMalaysia.

Published quarterly by BEM, The Ingenieur,reaches out to the engineering communityvia a 13,500 print version as well as toother readers via an e-format.

Readership is estimated at 50,000.

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6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013

INGENIEUR


When the Asian and Pacif ic Decade of Persons with Disability 1993-2002 was declared by UN ESCAP, Malaysia was a signatory to the Proclamation on the Full Participation and Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asia Pacific Region on May 16, 1994. The (UBBL) Uniform Building Bye-Laws 1984 was amended to include by-law 34A on the Building Requirements fo r D i s ab le d Per s on s. Subsequently, three Malaysian Standards namely MS1184: Code of Practice for Access for Disabled Persons to Public Buildings, MS 1183: Code of Practice for means of escape for Disabled Person and MS 1331: Code of Practice for access for Disabled Persons outside buildings were correspondingly formed to assist the industry for the implementation of facilities of built-environment for Disabled Persons.

In ad d i t i o n , s eve r a l guidelines on planning and building requirements by the

GU

IDEL

INES

INCHEON STRATEGY

Accessibility and Facilities for the Build-Environment for Persons with Disabilities in the Asia-Pacific RegionBy Pang Soo Moi

10 GOALS TO MAKE THE RIGHT REAL FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC, 20132022

IncheonStrategy

Town and Country Planning Department and the Local Government Department of the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry were also issued to guide planners, architects, engineers, builders, developers and local Government officers.

INCHEON STRATEGYTowards the end of the second Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disability 2003 -2013, the Governments of the ESCAP region gathered in

Incheon, Republic of Korea, from October 29 to November 2, 2012 to chart the course of the new Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities for the period 2013 to 2022. They were joined by representatives of civil society organisations, including those related to persons with disabilities. Also in attendance were representatives of inter-Governmental organisations, development co -operation agencies and the United Nations system.

The Incheon Strateg y provides the Asia-Pacific region, and the world, with the first set of regionally agreed disability-inclusive development goals. Developed over more than two years of consultations with Governments and civil society stakeholders, the Incheon Strategy comprises 10 goals, 27 targets and 62 indicators.

The Incheon Strateg y builds on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Biwako Millennium Framework for

37

Action and Biwako Plus Five towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific.

The Incheon Strategy will enable the Asia-Pacific region to track progress towards improving the quality of life, and the fulfilment of the rights, of the regions 650 million persons with disabilities, most of whom live in poverty. The ESCAP secretariat is mandated to report every three years until the end of the Decade in 2022, on progress in the implementation of the Ministerial Declaration and the Incheon Strategy.

G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y Resolution 48/96 of December 20, 1993 adopted the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, in which persons with disabilities are recognized as both development agents and beneficiaries in all aspects of development.

The Beijing Declaration on Disability-Inclusive Development adopted on June 8, 2012 by the Beijing Forum with the theme removing barriers, promoting integration, which, inter alia, recognized the significance of accelerating the ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and incorporating the disability dimension in the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015 in diverse sectors.

The development of the Incheon Strategy to Make the Right Real for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacif ic was derived from the experiences in

the implementation of two consecutive Asian and Pacific Decades of Disabled Persons, 19932002 and 20032012, as well as the historic adoption by the General Assembly, in 2006, of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

T h e re s p o n s e s o f Governments and organisations of and for persons with disabilities to the ESCAP Disability Survey 20112012 on the final review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 20032012, provided a rich evidence base for developing the IncheonStrategy.

The Incheon Strategy is not intended to replicate the comprehensive coverage of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action and Biwako Plus Five towards an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which will all continue to serve as the overarching policy framework for regional work in the field of disability.

The Incheon goals and targets are time-bound for accelerating implementation by focusing particular attention on the achievement of a set of priority goals and targets during the course of the new Decade, 20132022, as well as facilitating the measurement of progress to be attained by countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region.

KEY PRINCIPLES AND POLICY DIRECTIONThe Incheon Strategy is based on the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

Respect for inherent dignity, i n d i v i du a l au t o n o my, including the freedom to make ones own choices, and independence of persons;

Non-discrimination; F u l l a n d e f f e c t i v e

participation and inclusion in society;

Respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity;

Equality of opportunity; Accessibility; Equality between men and

women; and Respect for the evolving

capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities. In order to realize and

protect the rights of persons with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, the Incheon Strategy underscores the following policy direction:

Legislative, administrative and o ther measure s

Reduce poverty and enhance work and employment prospects

INCHEON STRATEGY GOAL

1

6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013

INGENIEUR


supportive of rights fulfilment are adopted, implemented, reviewed and strengthened so that disability-based discrimination is eliminated;

Development policies and programmes are disability inclusive and gender-sensitive and harness the potential of combining universal design with technological advancements for enabling persons with disabilities to fulfil their rights;

Development policies and programmes address the basic needs of persons with disabilities and their families who live in poverty;

Ef fec t i ve and t ime l y collection and analysis o f s ex - d i s ag g re g a te d disability data are pursued f o r e v i d e n c e - b a s e d policymaking;

Nat ional , sub -nat ional and local policies and programmes are based on plans that are explicitly inc lus ive o f per sons with disabilities and that also prioritize the active participation of persons with disabilities, through t h e i r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e organisations, in relevant decision-making processes;

The necessary budgetary support is provided at all levels for disability-inclusive development and tax policies facilitate the inclusion of persons with disabilities;

All national, sub-regional, regional and international entities concerned with d eve l o p m e n t i n c lu d e disability dimensions in their policies and programmes;

Nat ional , sub -nat ional

and local co-ordination, with sub - regional and regional linkages, ensure that disability inclusion in development policies and programmes is strengthened through intensification of multi-sectoral consultation and col laborat ion, to expedite and review Decade implementation and share related good practices;

Community and family-based inclusive development is promoted in order to ensure that all persons with disabilities, irrespective of socio-economic status, religious affiliation, ethnicity and location, are able, on an equal basis with others, to contribute to and benefit from development initiatives, particularly poverty reduction programmes;

Persons with disabilities are included in mainstream community life and are supported with life choices equal to those of others, including the option to live independently;

Persons with disabilities have acce s s to the phys ical env ironment ,

publ ic t ranspor tat ion, knowledge, information and communication, in a usable manner, through universal design and assistive technologies with reasonable accommodation provided, and taking into consideration the need to accommodate economic, geographic, linguistic and other aspects of cultural diversity, which altogether constitute a critical bridge to fulfilling their rights;

Diverse disability groups are empowered that include but are not limited to the following under-represented groups: girls and boys with disabilities, young persons with disabilities, women with disabilities, persons with intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities, persons with aut ism, persons wi th psychosocial disabilities, persons who are deaf, hard of hearing and deafened, persons who are deaf/blind, persons with multiple disabilities, persons with extensive disabilities, older persons with disabilities, persons with disabili

ingenieur vol 62 april-june 2015 ingenieur vol 62 april-june 2015

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