BEB31103 ENGINEERING ETHICS AND

PROFESSIONALISM IN SOCIETY

CHAPTER 2:
ENGINEERING ETHICS
Engineering
Community’s Perception
 • Not very good as compared to doctors,
lawyers or accountant
• Do not receive due recognition and status in society
are quite low
• Lack of prestige and glamour

Engineering
Reasons:
• Blue collar
• Not much money to make
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 • Difficult course
• Not much limelight
• No TV drama on engineers
• Majority of public do not get to meet engineers
directly

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 Engineering as a Profession
•Characteristics of a profession:
• The work requires sophisticated and specialised
skills, the use of judgment, and the exercise of
discretion. Also, the work is not routine and is not
capable of being automated.
• The professional is required to attend extensive
and regulated formal education, not simply practical
training or apprenticeship.

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 Engineering as a Profession
•Characteristics of a profession (cont.):
• Special societies or organisations that are
controlled by members of the profession set
standards for admission to the profession (including
formal education), set standards of conduct for

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 members, and are authorised to enforce these
standards.

•The profession contributes significantly to public

benefit

Engineering as a Profession
• Engineering requires extensive, sophisticated and
specialised skills. Requires at least 4 years of
engineering education.

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 • Essence of engineering design is judgment:
how to use the available materials, components
and devices to reach specified objective.
• Discretion is required in engineering: Engineers are
required to keep their employers’ or client’
intellectual-property and business information
confidential

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 Engineering as a Profession

• Ensure that safety to the public that will use the

products and devices he designs.
• Engineering societies are established to set
professional standards
• Engineers are paid for their services
• Thus engineering meets all the criteria of a profession.

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 Ethics and Professionalism
Importance of Professional Engineering
Societies
• Source of support for engineers – collective
strength expressed through organised units.
• Mechanisms for helping ethical engineers
• Play a role by voicing concerns of engineering
community that engineers need to licensed and
registered.
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 • Create an atmosphere more conducive to ethical
practice
• Investigating and reporting on specific cases
• Providing legal assistance when appropriate
• Encouraging employers to adopt effective procedures
• Developing and encouraging passage of helpful laws
• Giving awards to engineers who show examples of
ethical behavior under difficult circumtances

Board of Engineers, Malaysia (BEM)

Statutory body constituted under the. Act 138
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 REGISTRATION OF ENGINEERS ACT
1967(Revised – 2015)

• Established for regulating the professional conduct and

practice of registered engineers in order to safeguard the
public safety and health.

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 Ethics and Professionalism
Consisting of 17 Board Members comprising
• President
• 14 Professional engineers
• 5 from public sector
• 5 from private practice
• 2 from local authority
• 2 from private sector
• 1 representative from Board of Architects Malaysia
• 1 representative from Board of Quantity Surveyors
Malaysia
• Secretary and Registrar (PE) are ex-officio members
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Board of Engineers (cont.): Functions
• Regulating the Conduct and Ethics of Engineering
Profession.
• BEM is a medium for engineers to conduct on matters
relating to professional conduct or ethics

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 • BEM will study any matter concerning the
professional conduct of registered engineers to
determine whether there is a breach of professional
ethics or code.

Ethics and Professionalism

• If there is a breach of professional ethics or code of

conduct but not serious enough to warrant
suspension or cancellation of registration

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 • appropriate action eg.warning, censure or
advice would be taken by BEM as deemed fit

Ethics and Professionalism

Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM)
• A qualifying body for professional engineers in Malaysia.
A corporate member of the Institution can apply to the
BEM for registration as a professional engineer, which will
entitle him to set up practice.
• Represents all disciplines of the profession
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 Ethics and Professionalism
• The objectives of IEM are to promote and advance the
theory and practice of engineering in all disciplines and to;
• raise the character and status , and advance the interests
of the profession
• increase the confidence of the community in the
employment of recognised engineers by admitting to the
institution only such person who have adequate
knowledge of both theory and practice of engineering

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 • promote honest practice, prevent malpractice and
settled disputed points of practice and ethics
• arrange lectures, exhibitions and conferences, seminars,
courses
• collect and disseminate engineering information
• encourage the study of engineering and improve the
general and technical knowledge of persons engaged in
the profession
• originate and promote improvements in legislation and
its administration by deputations, submissions and
representations

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