(18th April 2009)
The AGM this morning was significant for three reasons :
(1) It was our 50th AGM as IEM was established on 1st May 1959
(2) It was the first AGM to be held in our new building, Wisma IEM
(3) It witnessed IEM’s version of ‘Peralihan Kuasa’, the handing over of the Chain of Office from me to our new President Dato’ Prof Ir Dr Chuah Hean Teik
The AGM started with the observance of One(1) minute silence in memory of one of our Past President Allahyarham Ir Mohd Razali b Bidin, and one of our Hon Fellow Al-marhum Tuanku Jaafar Ibni Al-marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. Al-marhum Tuanku Jaafar was conferred the Hon Fellow when he was the Yang Di Pertuan Agong.
As I remarked during the AGM, the post of IEM President appears to be a hazardous job. I am the 28th President, and of my 27 predecessors, 14 have already left for a better world! Must be something to do with the weight of the Chain of Office that a President has to wear.
Besides the usual agenda of the AGM ie the adoption of the Annual Report and the Statement of Accounts, the announcement of the election results and the appointment of Honorary and External Auditors, this AGM deliberated and approved an amendment to Article 2.4 of the Constitution. This proposed amendment will now be sent out to all Corporate Members for postal balloting.
The proposed amendment touched on the usage of the title “Engr” by Corporate and Graduate members of IEM. The issue dates back to 1975 when IEM amended its Constitution to allow for Corporate and Graduate members to use the title “Ir” with the intention to create a sense of purpose and belonging amongst IEM members to the profession. However, in 1989, the Registration of Engineers Act was amended to limit the usage of “Ir” or any similar title, to registered Professional Engineers only. After a lot of debate, Council proposed that IEM Corporate and Graduate members should be entitled to use the title “Engr” and this was approved by the AGM in 2006, and subsequently by the Registrar of Societies.
Unfortunately the use of these two different titles resulted in objections from some quarters who urged the Board of Engineers (BEM) to take action against non-Professional Engineers who were using the title “Engr” as they deemed it similar to “Ir” and thus contravene the Act. The then Minister of Works (who is an IEM member) requested for IEM to reconsider the issue and indicated that he would be able to consider favourably a proposal for IEM Corporate members who are PEs to use “Ir” while Corporate members who are not PEs and Graduate members use “Engr”. After a long debate, the proposed amendments were passed by a large majority, and will now be sent out for postal balloting.
In accordance with the traditions of IEM, the “almost permanent” Election Officer, Dato’ Engr Pang Leong Hoon, announced the results of the election for Council Session 2009/2010 and one of the pleasant surprise was the election of a Lady Vice-President. I have written in one of my earlier postings that IEM is lagging behind in the gender issue and hopefully we will see a change for the better in the coming years. My favourite grouse about our election process is the tradition of announcing the results at the AGM rather than immediately after the counting of ballot papers. Can you imagine if the results of the recent Bukit Gantang Parlimentary by election (congratulations to the new MP who is our Hon Fellow) was only announced at the next sitting of Parliament!
With the handing over of office during the AGM, my term as President now comes to an end. I would like to place on record my thanks and appreciation to the Council, Excomm and all members of IEM for your support and co-operation over the last two years and I am particularly grateful that no member of IEM went to the Istana to ask for an earlier “Peralihan Kuasa”! I hope all of you will continue to give the same support and co-operation to our new President.
Also, with the handing over of office, this will be my last posting in the IEM President’s Blog.
KA/April 2009
The AGM this morning was significant for three reasons :
(1) It was our 50th AGM as IEM was established on 1st May 1959
(2) It was the first AGM to be held in our new building, Wisma IEM
(3) It witnessed IEM’s version of ‘Peralihan Kuasa’, the handing over of the Chain of Office from me to our new President Dato’ Prof Ir Dr Chuah Hean Teik
The AGM started with the observance of One(1) minute silence in memory of one of our Past President Allahyarham Ir Mohd Razali b Bidin, and one of our Hon Fellow Al-marhum Tuanku Jaafar Ibni Al-marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. Al-marhum Tuanku Jaafar was conferred the Hon Fellow when he was the Yang Di Pertuan Agong.
As I remarked during the AGM, the post of IEM President appears to be a hazardous job. I am the 28th President, and of my 27 predecessors, 14 have already left for a better world! Must be something to do with the weight of the Chain of Office that a President has to wear.
Besides the usual agenda of the AGM ie the adoption of the Annual Report and the Statement of Accounts, the announcement of the election results and the appointment of Honorary and External Auditors, this AGM deliberated and approved an amendment to Article 2.4 of the Constitution. This proposed amendment will now be sent out to all Corporate Members for postal balloting.
The proposed amendment touched on the usage of the title “Engr” by Corporate and Graduate members of IEM. The issue dates back to 1975 when IEM amended its Constitution to allow for Corporate and Graduate members to use the title “Ir” with the intention to create a sense of purpose and belonging amongst IEM members to the profession. However, in 1989, the Registration of Engineers Act was amended to limit the usage of “Ir” or any similar title, to registered Professional Engineers only. After a lot of debate, Council proposed that IEM Corporate and Graduate members should be entitled to use the title “Engr” and this was approved by the AGM in 2006, and subsequently by the Registrar of Societies.
Unfortunately the use of these two different titles resulted in objections from some quarters who urged the Board of Engineers (BEM) to take action against non-Professional Engineers who were using the title “Engr” as they deemed it similar to “Ir” and thus contravene the Act. The then Minister of Works (who is an IEM member) requested for IEM to reconsider the issue and indicated that he would be able to consider favourably a proposal for IEM Corporate members who are PEs to use “Ir” while Corporate members who are not PEs and Graduate members use “Engr”. After a long debate, the proposed amendments were passed by a large majority, and will now be sent out for postal balloting.
In accordance with the traditions of IEM, the “almost permanent” Election Officer, Dato’ Engr Pang Leong Hoon, announced the results of the election for Council Session 2009/2010 and one of the pleasant surprise was the election of a Lady Vice-President. I have written in one of my earlier postings that IEM is lagging behind in the gender issue and hopefully we will see a change for the better in the coming years. My favourite grouse about our election process is the tradition of announcing the results at the AGM rather than immediately after the counting of ballot papers. Can you imagine if the results of the recent Bukit Gantang Parlimentary by election (congratulations to the new MP who is our Hon Fellow) was only announced at the next sitting of Parliament!
With the handing over of office during the AGM, my term as President now comes to an end. I would like to place on record my thanks and appreciation to the Council, Excomm and all members of IEM for your support and co-operation over the last two years and I am particularly grateful that no member of IEM went to the Istana to ask for an earlier “Peralihan Kuasa”! I hope all of you will continue to give the same support and co-operation to our new President.
Also, with the handing over of office, this will be my last posting in the IEM President’s Blog.
KA/April 2009
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