INGENIEUR
ENGINEER WITH A CAUSE
In memory of Board Member
Ir. Dr Abdul Majid bin Dato’ Abu Kassim
T
he Board of Engineers, Malaysia (BEM)
lost a talented and dedicated member, Ir.
Dr Abdul Majid bin Dato’ Abu Kassim in
December 2016. Since joining the Board in 2010,
Dr Majid, as he is commonly referred to, devoted
a lot of his time and effort in BEM activities. He
was most revered as the Professional Engineer
who spearheaded the latest amendments (2015)
in the Registration of Engineers Act (REA) 1967.
Dr Majid, born on June 19, 1958, graduated
from the University of Edinburgh in 1982 with a 1 st
Class Honours in BSc (Engineering). He obtained
a PhD (Engineering) from the same university
in 1986 and spent 30 years of his engineering
career in consultancy firm Hussein & KH Chong
Sdn Bhd.
Fellow Board Members remember him as a
very detailed and forceful person, who always did
his research and supported his views with facts
and figures. “It is difficult to win an argument with
him, he was strong-minded in his opinions” said
Ir. Prem Kumar. On top of this, he was vocal and
dared to challenge others on pertinent issues. He
came across as a man of principle and integrity,
who disliked those who did public service for
personal gain. “He was always clear about the
role of the Board to protect the public and not the
engineers,” Ir. Prem illustrated.
Dr Majid was Board Member between 2010
and 2015 and reappointed in August 2016 until
his untimely demise. He held the Chair of BEM’s
Engineers Act Committee and was a member of
the Professional Practice Committee, Scale of
Fees Committee and Examination & Qualifications
Committee.
Dr Majid also held prominent positions
in the building industry, as President of the
Association of Consulting Engineers (ACEM) in
2008 and Chairman of the Building Industry
Presidents Council (BIPC). He was appointed by
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the Minister of Works as a Member of the Expert
Panel to review the practice of the construction
industry in 2013. He helped to investigate factors
contributing to the collapse of the ramp of the
Second Penang Bridge in Batu Maung as well as
recommend remedial measures.
The Ingenieur editor Dato’ Ir. Fong Tian Yong
stressed that Dr Majid contributed significantly
to the engineering profession with passion and
vision. “In view of trade liberalisation, he could
foresee foreign competition and the need to uplift
the standard of engineers,” he explained. To
move with the times, Dr Majid was instrumental
in revising the terms and conditions of engineer
registration in Malaysia. He introduced new
categories of registered persons namely
Engineering Technologist and Inspector of
Works in the revised REA. To ensure standards,
he proposed the Professional Assessment
Examination (PAE) and the Professional
Competency Examination (PCE) for different
categories of registered persons.
Dr Majid led the mammoth task of drafting
the amendments to the REA and convincing
the relevant authorities of the need for these
changes. He first approached the legal adviser
in the Ministry of Works and then briefed the
Minister before meeting the Attorney General.
His professional approach won over the top
echelons of Government in the Dewan Rakyat
and Dewan Negara. The whole process took
long hours of research, tons of paperwork and
countless meetings, but results were achieved in
less than five years. The Registration of Engineers
(Amendment) Act 2015 was passed by Parliament
in 2014 and the Act was gazetted by the Minister
of Works on February 28, 2015. It took into effect
on July 3, 2015.
Continuing his cause, Dr Majid went on
numerous BEM roadshows throughout the country