Update 6

At the recent Council Meeting on 26 August we have decided, after debate, that we need to act on our agenda on internationalisation. We propose to create a new class of membership for Surveyors who are not members of ISM and who are practising Surveyors, particularly in countries around the region such as ASEAN, China, India, Pakistan and the Middle East. Such members however cannot practice in Malaysia and can join ISM and use the ISM letters after their name and follow the developments in the profession though the dissemination of information through ISM channels and take part from time to time in ISM activities. Our journal is at the same time being upgraded and our website is becoming more and more state-of-the-art. Members are welcome to comment on this and start the debate. On 18 December 2010 we shall have an EGM in Kuala Lumpur to debate and if thought fit, pass the amendments to the Constitution to effect the changes.

We are also preparing to invite a very prominent personality on that day of the EGM to give us a talk on liberalisation.

The Sarawak Branch will be having a one day event on 20 October to get all the 400 ISM members in Sarawak to come together and take part in a whole day seminar. Members for other parts of Malaysia who want to take part are welcome to contact the Sarawak Branch.

The Technical Tour cum sightseeing trip to India (New Delhi, Mumbai and optionally Goa) for 7 and 10 days respectively is gathering steam. So far 45 persons have signed up. We can accommodate more. For more information please see details on this website.

Plans for our Pan-Malaysia celebrations for our 50th Year in 2011 are also gaining momentum and throughout next year we will celebrate our successes of the past 50 years as we pledge to rebrand and continue our services as Surveyors to the Malaysian public. The Commerative Book is in the final stages of preparation and hopefully will be unveiled on the 18th of December at our EGM.

Update 5

On 8 July 2010, a small delegation went to meet with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Works, Y. Bhg. Datuk Thomas George was discussed at length and the issues surrounding the proposed Building Surveyors Act. We believe it was a fruitful meeting where many important issues were resolved. We brought clarity to some of the issues that have been holding up the Act and we remain hopeful that the proposed Act can be passed soon.

The 14th PAQS Congress was held in Singapore from 24th – 27th July 2010, by the Singapore Institution of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV), jointly with the International Cost Engineering Council (ICEC) 7th Congress. A total of 49 Malaysian delegates attended the Congress led by our council member and Chief Delegate, Dato’ Sr Abdull Manaf. The theme of the Congress was ‘Sustainable Cost Management: Borderless Innovation’ and the quality papers delivered along this theme were indeed invigorating.

At the same time, the 16th ASEAN Valuers Association (AVA) Congress, under the theme “Towards a New Era of Valuation Development” was held from 22 – 24 July 2010 at Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. It was well attended by more than 300 persons and extremely well organised by our Thai counterpart. At this Congress, the Governing Council of AVA met, and Malaysia made a bid for the Secretariat to be moved to Malaysia along with a bid for the posts of Secretary-General and Treasurer. We succeeded in the bid and I am now the Secretary General, and Faizan Bin Abdul Rahman, the Treasurer.

Our first Council Meeting for the 50th Session was held on 28 July 2010 and we have established a new item in the agenda, i.e. to discuss at some length one topic rather than go through just the usual agenda. At the meeting we discussed the issue of liberalisation and, after some debate, decided that as a common stand, we hold that it would be best serve in the interest of the surveying profession for liberalisation to be proceeded on a measured basis, and for equity participation to be not more than 49%.

It is likely that at the next Council meeting, the special issue to be discussed will be Green Issues. All ISM members are invited to write in, in advance of our Council Meeting, regarding their opinions as to the green movement, from their own Divisional Perception or from the point of view of surveying as a whole.

The 21st National Real Estate Convention Malaysia was held at the Istana Hotel on 3 & 4 August 2010 with the theme “Opportunities in the New Decade” and is timely in view of the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) recently tabled at Parliament and officially opened by YB Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Update 4

In the weeks ahead, before the start of the fasting month, the activities at the ISM HQ include the meeting of the Special Committee set up to organise activities for the 50 Year celebrations in 2011, The Management Committee meeting on 20 July and the First Council Meeting for Session 50 on 28 July. Divisional, Branch and other subcommittee meetings are also being held.

The 14th PAQS Congress and Board meeting are to be held in Singapore from 23 to 27 July 2010. The venue is the Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore and the hosts are the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV) with the congress theme, Sustainable Cost Management: Borderless Innovation. Kindly view this website for registration - http://paqs2010.com.sg. The PAQS website is www.paqs.net.

The 16th ASEAN Valuers Congress with the Theme "Toward a New Era of Valuation Development" is being held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Bangkok from the 22 to 24 July 2010. On the day before, on 21 July, in the evening the AVA Governing Council meets. The Asean Valuation Association (AVA) was established in June 1981 with five founding members namely, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. In 1990s, AVA was extended to include Brunei and Vietnam. Cambodia is the new member joined in 2009. Two other Asean countries namely Laos and Myanmar are not officially members yet as there are no formal valuation professions in these countries. They are now having observer status in AVA. Each country is represented by seven valuers from the public and private sectors and the academia to form the Governing Council. The AVA holds a congress once every two years on a rotating basis among the ASEAN member countries. The congress provides a valuable platform to share views, networking, interaction, a place to learn and exchange knowledge and information and foster comradeship and fellowship. Between congresses, there is a pre-congress meeting to prepare for the congress. The AVA website is www.aseanvaluers.com

On the 3rd and 4th August, ISM and PEPS are jointly organising the 21st National Real Estate Convention at Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. The Theme: Opportunities in the New Decade. For details of the programme please see the full brochure elsewhere in this website.

We also welcome our first overseas Chapter, the UK Chapter and for some information on this see the "ISM News & Events" in our website. See also under "Institution Information - ISM Branches - UK Chapter" and we are inserting here a paper entitled "The Relevance of ISM's Global Presence" by Sr. Faisal Ahmad Zaidin who is the present Chairman of the UK Chapter.

I have been invited to attend the annual dinner of the Johor branch on 30 July 2010 and hope to see as many ISM members in Johor as possible.

Comments from followers of this blog are welcome on any matter.

Update 3

Dear Members,

This morning I attended, together with immediate Past President Associate Professor Sr Dr Hjh Wan Maimun Wan Abdullah, the 2011 Budget Dialogue, chaired by the Prime Minister YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Razak. It was a well attended session, at the Ministry of Finance, and there were 455 participants, from 175 organisations. The session which started at 9 am ended at 12 noon, was divided into three major parts, the Macro Issues, the Sectorial issues and the Social Issues. There were selected speakers for each part and at the end of each part a brief question and answer session ensued.

Prior to going for the Dialogue, ISM did submit a memorandum to the Ministry and did raise a number of issues obtained from some discussions with our various Divisions and Council members. However with more inputs from Divisions, Branches, Council members and members, our submission next year could be made even more comprehensive and focused. At the coming Council meeting we hope to set up a special committee that will be tasked with starting on the next submission, early, and once that committee is set up, it is hoped that members will support by contributing views and opinions.

The coming budget which is the first Budget post the release of the New Economic Model and the 10th Malaysia Plan, will be tabled in Parliament on 15 October.


Elvin.

Update 2

Dear Members,

On 27 June 2010, Sunday morning, I attended the launching of “1BINA.MY – The Official Portal of Malaysia’s Construction Industry” and signed the Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) with CIDB. 1Bina.my is a global initiative by CIDB Malaysia, for a permanent construction industry portal, built specially for the conduct of cross-border business electronically. The interactive support includes business tools; knowledge sharing; links to aids and projects; industry directory and community. The two days Content Enrichment Workshop (26-27 June 2010) was also attended by the ISM Secretariat (IT Officer) who will in charged of ISM 's ongoing updates.

This morning, 2 July 2010, we had a meeting to finalise the Memorandum to Ministry of Finance for the Budget Consultancy 2011. ISM will attending the Budget Consultancy 2011 meeting that will be chaired by our Prime Minister on 6 July 2010.

Earlier, I also attended an opening ceremony of ARCHIDEX 2010 and PAM 2010 Convention at KLCC Convention Centre and was pleasantly surprised, to discover that one of our Fellow (QS Division), Sr Low Khian Seng is the co-author of the recently published book entitled “THE PAM 2006 CONTRACT HANDBOOK”. Congratulations.

Okay, I have a flight to catch. I am going to visit my two month old grandson in JB. (",)

Oooppss...almost forgot! Datin Faridah who is organising chair, wants me to remind the industry to watch out for the 21st National Real Estate Convention (NREC) event which will be on 3-4 August 2010 at Hotel Istana, KL. @NREC, 1st in Real Estate, 2nd to None. CHECKMATE!

I'll see you there. Till then.