INGENIEUR
foreign investors have relocated
their manufacturing plants to
Sarawak, taking cognizance of
the size of our land mass, sea
route connectivity with adequate
support by ports, generous
Government incentives and
most important of all, the
existing industry infrastructure
and utilities support that are
already available.
These projects and
plans will involve intensive
and continuous input from
engineers as well as the
whole eng ine ering team.
While we appreciate the
engineers’ contribution to
the implementation of these
projects and other essential
services, one must not lose
sight that the quality and safety
of the works must be ensured,
and this has to be delivered
through the highest standards
of professionalism. This is
particularly compelling with
the recent spate of building
failures and shortcomings in
the construction industry as
reported in the papers, and
the public’s expectation that
it should be addressed and
mitigated.
In this context, the BEM
Road Show will provide a
timely reminder to all practicing
engineers of their heav y
responsibility and accountability
entrusted to them. In tandem
with the tide of rapid economic
expansion and the resulting hive
of construction activities for the
state of Sarawak, it is important
that all infrastructure facilities
and buildings are constructed in
full compliance with established
standards, as they are designed
to last a long time.
In the light of the above
considerations, the Sarawak
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- SEPTEMBER
2017
VOL 71
55 JULY
JUNE
2013
State Government has placed a
heavy emphasis on stepping up
Human Capital Development in
the recent 2017 State Budget
speech. Priority is placed
on technical and vocational
e duc ation, such as the
implementation of Centres of
Technical Excellence (CENTEX)
in Kuching, Lundu and Lawas.
The emphasis by the President
of the Board of Engineers
Malaysia in the preceding
speech, on the need for
regulating the engineering team
as a whole ties up well with the
State Government’s strategy in
producing not only whole teams
of technical talent, but also
human capital with the right
quality, competence and ethical
conduct, on the supply side of
the demanding job market.
The BEM President’s speech
has also highlighted the effect of
liberalization of the engineering
ser vices in respect of
competition with foreign talents.
I fully agree with him and this is
a good reminder for Sarawak, to
intensify our effort in producing
the necessary talent pools to
match the challenging demands
of the future. Moving forward, we
should not rest on our laurels,
as the way forward requires
constant updating of knowledge
and nurturing of innovative
minds.
Taking cognizance of the
fact that innovation is the way
forward for economic growth
within the current competitive
economic environment, the
Sarawak Government has also
embarked on an action plan to
kick-start the digital economy,
for which a significant budget
has been allocated. With the
sweeping changes expected
from the impact of the 4 th
Industrial Revolution, we cannot
be left behind in its wake. It
is important that local human
resource should not only keep
up with its current demands, but
also move further up the curve
to be more competitive in this
rapidly changing world.
We may have to invest
in manufacturing our own
equipment. We are currently
committed to invest RM1 billion
to start with to ensure that our
ICT infrastructure is fit enough to
support new digital industries,
commerce and investment that
we expect to be attracted to
come to Sarawak. In particular
we shall embark and embrace
state-of-the-art technology in
data transmission – the Optical
Transport Network at Edge – to
spur the growth of Sarawak’s
economy
The State of Sarawak
is fully committed to the
comprehensive implementation
of various major development
programmes and projects in
2017 and beyond. There are
broadly four sectors which
critically require the services of
engineering team; they are:
1. Firstly, improvement of
the connectivity of the
State by constructing
more roads and bridges;
2. Secondly, extending the
coverage of water supply
especially to the rural
population;
3. Thirdly, the development
of industrial estates;
4. And f inally, the provision
of affordable housing for
the rakyat
Sarawak is richly endowed
with natural resources. Our
people have been living in peace
and quiet for many centuries,
relying on land, sea and rivers