The Malaysian Bar - A Visit by Representatives of the Building Surveying Division of Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (20 Sept 2011)

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A Visit by Representatives of the Building Surveying Division of Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (20 Sept 2011)

Friday, 09 December 2011 01:50pm

Contributed by Azman Thaiyub Khan, Member, Bar Council Subcommittee on Construction Law, and Marianna Laureen Tan, Executive Officer, with photos by Anne Andrew, Personal Assistant to the Office Bearers, Bar Council

On 20 Sept 2011 (Tuesday), Tony Woon Yeow Thong (Secretary of the Malaysian Bar), on behalf of Bar Council, welcomed representatives of the Building Surveying Division of Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (“RISM”) during their visit to Bar Council. The delegation included Hj Mohd Amin Mohd Din (Chairman of the Building Surveying Division and Vice-President of RISM); Dr Adi Irfan b Che Ani, (Secretary of the Building Surveying Division); and Mohd Zahry Shaikh Abdul Rahman (Member of the Building Surveying Committee of RISM). Wilfred Abraham and Azman Thaiyub Khan (Chairperson and Member of the Bar Council Subcommittee on Construction Law, respectively) were also present at the meeting.

Tony Woon Yeow Thong congratulated RISM on its recent conferment of the “royal status” by Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the Sultan of Selangor. He proceeded to inform the delegates on Bar Council’s roles and functions, as well as its projects and activities. He welcomed the participation of RISM in the Bar Council Professional Standards and Development Committee’s upcoming talks, seminars and forums, citing that the events might be of interest to RISM’s members too.

Hj Mohd Amin Mohd Din then took the microphone to explain the main purpose of the visit. He noted that RISM had sought the meeting to have an opportunity to network and discuss matters related to the building surveying profession’s role and contribution towards safeguarding public interest in relation to the property and construction industry in Malaysia.

At the meeting, Dr Adi Irfan b Che Ani presented a brief history on the establishment of RISM. He discussed the various roles assumed by building surveyors from the outset of the pre-construction stage to the post-construction stage. He added that the Malaysian Quality Assurance Programme had recognised that professional building surveyors had a specific role in the construction industry; thus they were accountable for the building control aspect.

RISM, which was seeking for the recognition of building surveyors in the construction industry, was presently pushing for specific legislation to be put in place. It was revealed that several discussions between the Ministry of Works and relevant stakeholders had already taken place. The Bar Council representatives were also alerted to the current dilemma faced by RISM, particularly the allegations of overlapping roles assumed by building surveyors, architects and engineers. RISM then requested Bar Council’s assistance in establishing appropriate legislation.

Hj Mohd Amin Mohd Din highlighted that building surveyors were the rightful professionals to be consulted regarding disputes and irregularities in the construction of buildings. He elaborated that their roles were often usurped by architects and engineers, who generally did not conduct inspections as thoroughly as building surveyors, before pointing out that their rightful clients generally included house buyers or financial institutions that represented parties in sale transactions.

As the meeting drew to a close, Tony Woon Yeow Thong and Wilfred Abraham offered assistance to RISM. Dr Adi Irfan b Che Ani, on behalf of RISM, then thanked Bar Council for its time and offer of assistance, and shared that he was looking forward to a mutually beneficial working relationship.

The meeting ended with an exchange of souvenirs between the Bar Council representatives and visitors.