REGISTRATION OF

ENGINEERS ACT 1967

What is the purpose …….. What

is the point ……

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 Legislative power of Parliament and
Legislative Process
• Parliament has the exclusive power to make federal laws over
matters falling under the Federal List .

• A law is made when a bill is passed by both houses and has

received royal assent from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which
is deemed given if the bill is not assented to within 30 days of
presentation.

• For a more comprehensive list, see List of Acts of Parliament

in Malaysia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Acts_of_the_Parliament_
of_Malaysia

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• The Registration of Engineers Act 1967
and the Registration of Engineers
Regulations 1990 have been amended
in 2015 with date of operation on 31st
July 2015. The amended REA will be
known as "Registration of Engineers
Act 1967 (Revised 2015)' whilst the
accompanying Regulations will be
known as "Registration of Engineers
Regulations 1990 (Revised 2015)".
• These latest amendments are a direct
result of Government policies on trade
for services. As Malaysia developed
towards a service industry the issue of
“liberalization” of the services came to
the forefront in the Free Trade
Agreements (FTA) which the country
signed. These latest amendments
directly address liberalization issues in
order for the country to meet its
international obligations.
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Before 1967 there was no Engineers Act

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• Terengganu stadium collapses, June 2009 (and
AGAIN, in February 2013)

In June 2009, the stadium’s east

wing took a dive and fortunately, no
one was present. After what has
got to be the longest clean up, the
roof collapsed again. A beam fell
during repairs and removal, and
this time, the workers got injured.

Misfortune: 5 locals injured, no

fatalities.

Cost Tally: RM 292 million stadium

costs, approximately RM25 million
damages

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Penang second bridge collapse, June 2013

And in June 2013, a part of that

second bridge fell. A “Kelisa” and
its driver parked beneath didn’t
stand a chance. Again, it was
caused by negligence during
construction.

Misfortune: 1 killed, 3 injured

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Jaya shopping mall collapse, May 2009

This time, the problem wasn’t construction, but

from demolition works.

Misfortune: 7 dead Indonesian

workers, unconfirmed injuries.
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MRT, March & May 2013, August & December 2014

March 2013: Equipment in transit

fell and crushed two cars in
Subang Jaya.

May 2013: News reports believed

that the tragedy involving a falling
beam—which crushed a
restaurant worker and his
employer

After that came the Kota

Damansara incident, where a 300
tonne beam crushed three people.

Misfortune: 7 total deaths (5 Bangladeshi,

two locals), unconfirmed injures.

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 Highland Towers collapse, December 1993

December 11, 1993, a date etched into many Malaysians’ minds, mainly because it was
one of the most horrific collapses the country has ever seen.

It also prompted aid from Singapore, France, Japan, UK, and US.

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 Purpose of Engineers Act

Note: The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides a

framework of rules governing services trade, establishes a mechanism for
countries to make commitments to liberalize trade in services and provides a
mechanism for resolving disputes between countries. 14
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Code of Professional Conduct in in Registration of
Engineers Act 1967 (Rev. 2015)
BEM has produced the guidelines that outline the
conduct expected of engineers. These guidelines are
set out under a number of broad areas relating to the
engineering profession. The Do’s and Don’ts below
relate to the 5 fundamentals included in this Act.
1. Registration
2. Consultancy
3. Supervision
4. Regulatory Requirements
5. Ethics

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1. Registration

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2. Consultancy

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2. Consultancy

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3. Supervision

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4. Regulatory Requirements

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5. Ethics

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 Code of Ethics
• The Engineer’s Code of Ethics represents the collective stance and the
shared conviction of the Fraternity of Engineers.
• These codes serve as a framework for ethical judgment for a
professional engineer.
• The codes also express the rights, duties, and obligations of the
members of the profession.
• The sanctity of the Code amounts to an Honour Pledge which when
breached brings shame and dishonour to both the transgressor and the
profession.
• There is no legal enforcement; so a professional cannot be arrested for
violating its provisions
• Violating the code of ethics may result in expulsion from a professional
society.

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 What Makes Code of Professional
Conduct differ than Code of Ethics?

• The BEM’s Code of Professional Conduct represents the

“Law” and when broken, investigation and disciplinary
processes follow; akin to the legal procedures of the
“Court”.
• Should the respondent registered engineer be found to have
indeed “broken the law”, his act unbecoming of a registered
engineer will be CRIMINALIZED!

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Fundamental Thrusts of Code of Ethics

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 Why ethics is important?
 People rely heavily on engineers to provide them with safe and
reliable goods and services

 Engineers must perform under a certain standard of

professional behavior which requires adherence to the highest
principles of ethical conduct

 Mistakes made by unethical and/or incompetent engineers do

not just cost money, they could cost many lives.

Prepared by: Prof. Madya Ir. Dr. Tan Chou Yong 27

 What if ethics are neglected?

• Most of these disasters have been directly linked to not abiding

by the engineering codes of ethics.

• These incidents clearly indicate the extent of unethical practices

played by senior engineers and managers worldwide.

• They also show that unethical behavior is costly to corporations,

employees and their investors. As a result, engineering
organizations and professional associations have established and
are enforcing stricter code of ethics.

Prepared by: Prof. Madya Ir. Dr. Tan Chou Yong 28

 Why focus on ethics?

 Make decisions – make the right choice

 Take action – do the right thing

 Personal integrity and self-respect

 Element of professional reputation

 HIGH ETHICS -> HIGH PROFITS

Prepared by: Prof. Madya Ir. Dr. Tan Chou Yong 29

 Conclusion
• Malaysia’s Engineering Act and Regulations are divided into two;
Registration of Engineers Act 1967 (Rev. 2015) and Registration of
Engineers Regulations 1990 (Rev. 2003)
• Act is a legislation passed by parliament, Regulations and Code of
Professional Conduct is a legislation passed by ministry
• Code of Ethics emphasis moral value as a guideline for engineers to
follow in doing their job, Code of Professional Conduct emphasis
moral value as a mandatory legislation need to obey by engineers
• The fundamental Thrusts of Code of Ethics are the profession, the
colleagues, the employer and clients, the public and the oneself
• The Code of Professional Conduct in general emphasis on safety,
health and welfare of the public, engineer’s competency, truthful
value, faithful manner towards the employer and clients, and
enhancement of ethical values in oneself.

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