1

1
1 ½ Day Workshop on the Engineering Technology
Path-Blueprint for a HighlyCompetent Engineering
Workforce at the Best Western Premier Seri
Pacific, Kuala Lumpur29-30 May 2007
Issues on the future Engineering Teamby Ir.
Rocky H.T. WongChairman IEM pro-ETI BureauAER
Head Commissioner
2

• Engineering is performed by not just an
  individual but by a team an Engineering Team.
• For the traditional ECP delivery system of
  bricks mortar types of engineering services
  (CPC 8672)
• at the design stage, the team consists of
  engineers, designers and drafters whilst
• for the construction stage, the team is
  supplemented by resident engineers,
  site-inspectors, Cows etc.

3

• When it comes to Integrated Engineering Services
  (CPC 8673), we have to consider both the Demand
  and Supply sides of the Equation of the Delivery
  System.
• On the Demand Side, Integrated Engineering
  Services will be performed by Engineering lead
  and Technology Innovation (ETI) driven
  Programme Management or Project Management Team
  or Consultancy generally referred to as either
  PMT or PMC.

4

• On the other hand, at the Supply End, Integrated
  Engineering Services as ETI professional services
  can be supplied either by EPCC contractors or
  EPCC Management Consultants.
• The Engineering Team is now an ETI team
  Engineering lead and Technology Innovation
  driven team consisting of skilled engineers,
  technologists and other specialist technicians
  etc whose skill-expectations and knowledge are on
  higher datum.

5

• PMT or PMC ETI team, the equivalent of the
  Engineering Team, consists of engineers,
  engineering technologists and technicians of
  various disciplines (besides the usual CS, ME
  disciplines) shall be equipped with
  sector-specific skills.
• Similar demands of the ETI team tasked to deliver
  Engineering, Procurement, Construction
  Commissioning i.e. EPCC Works, which also
  include Operational Maintenance (OM) skills
  especially when proprietary processes have been
  incorporated in the delivered works.

6

• ETI teams with specific knowledge and skills
  manage the life-long OM of plants and facilities
  they rightly are responsible for assets
  management and they (when properly trained
  funded) are capable to establish a first-world
  maintenance culture befitting our first-world
  infrastructures and facilities such as those of
  power energy plants and Transmission
  Distribution (TD) systems networks, Oil Gas
  and Petrochemical Chemical plants, Water
  Waste-water treatment plants, etc..

7

• Other sector-specific ETI teams perform the
  professional tasks of engineering and scientific
  testing analysis services such as electrical
  electronic testing commissioning, power
  turn-on, non-destructive tests,
  soil-investigation tests etc
• With the ASEAN MRA on Engineering Services
  (explicitly for CPC 8672) already in place since
  9 December 2005, but still awaiting to be
  operationalised cross-border trade in
  traditional engineering services is singularly
  centered on the natural person the engineer,
  who in the Malaysian context, must-

8

• be a P.Eng of minimum 7 years experience
• must have been certified by BEM to be free from
  sins
• be registered by the ACPECC Register as an ACPE
  (after having paid a prescribed fee)
• then apply to the targeted host ASEAN- countrys
  PRA/MC to be a RFPE (another fee?)
• identify a local ACPE which whom to work in
  cooperation in the host ASEAN-country and
• his/her commercial presence (Mode 3) is to be in
  the natural person capacity and is limited to 30
  for now, then to 49 by 2010improving to 70 by
  2015.

9

• Should the ASEAN MRA on Engineering Services be
  amended (in due course?) to also cover Integrated
  Engineering Services (CPC 8673), than besides the
  natural person - the Engineer the ETI team and
  legal persons (for Mode 3) shall also be
  considered for the cross border Trade in Services
  as mandated by the ASEAN Leaders Decision as
  spelt out in Bali Concord II.
• Should that be the reality-and frankly we have no
  choice due to the ASEAN Economic Integration
  agenda, then the ETI team shall have the
  recognised standing for our Engineers,
  Engineering Technologists, and Technicians who
  should rightly be bench-marked to international
  best- practices accreditation levels of the WA
  the SA and the DA respectively.

10

• Being realistic of a domestic perspective in the
  globalised and borderless market, it is important
  to adopt an attitude of Think-Global, Act Local
  approach e.g. the issues of the CCC which came
  into force 13 April this year, call for
  registration of not just Professional Engineers,
  but other para-professionals in the Construction
  Industry, especially those on the Demand Side of
  the Delivery System, viz. the ECP delivery.
• To complete the picture on the Issues on the
  future Engineering Team, it is important to
  appreciate the various WTO/GATS defined services
  which are ETI centric delivered by engineer-lead
  teams such as-

11

• Engineering Services
• Integrated Engineering Services
• ICT
• Technical testing analysis services
• Services incidental to-
• Mining,
• Energy generation, distribution, efficiency,
  renewal, etc
• Communication Services
• Construction related engineering services
• Education services
• Environmental services
• Transport services, including among others-
• Pipeline transport
• Energy distribution services, etc and
• Logistic services.

12

• The priority services as being encouraged and
  promoted by the IMP3 fall within the foresaid
  WTO/GATS defined services which when applied to
  the Hi-tech industrial sectors (also being
  promoted by the Government) should best be
  delivered by ETI teams which shall consist of
  knowledge based skilled professionals,
  para-professionals and talents rather than
  trade-based skilled and semi-skilled workers.
• For reasons as given herein above and elsewhere
  earlier, it is my belief that the Report on
  Engineering Technology Path provides a blueprint
  for a highly competent engineering workforce.
• THANK YOU