Er. Dr Foo Say Wei, President of IES
Members of IES
Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my pleasure to be here with you on this special occasion to mark the 39th anniversary of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore.

Engineers’ Contributions

2 The engineering profession has always been able to attract some of Singapore’s best talents. Following our national push into manufacturing and technological development in the 1970s, many of our top students chose engineering as a career. Today, engineering remains one of our largest departments in our universities and polytechnics.

3 Our engineers have contributed significantly to the development of Singapore, both in building up the infrastructure and in growing key economic sectors. Other than quality housing developments, safe buildings, and efficient transportation systems that we are all familiar with, the engineering profession has also designed and developed enabling technologies and systems to support the economic sectors such as the manufacturing, electronics, aerospace and chemical engineering sectors.

New Challenges

4 Moving ahead, Singapore needs to remake itself to ensure that we remain relevant and competitive. While some highly qualified engineers have moved on from the engineering profession to make their marks in other fields such as management, sales and marketing, many others have chosen to remain and upgraded their skills in various engineering specializations. They will anchor the profession as it continues to play important roles in Singapore’s development.

5 With globalisation picking up pace, the competition for investments and talents has intensified among cities. At the same time, the aspirations of our residents have risen over the years, with a greater desire to want to live, work and play in a city that is vibrant and exciting. We have to respond to these challenges, and transform our city into one that is globally distinctive; a vibrant city that thrives on knowledge and innovation.

6 We are implementing many interesting and exciting projects to make Singapore a distinctive city. There are bold ideas for the Marina Bay, which would include developing an integrated resort, waterfront gardens and the Business and Financial Centre. Efforts are also being made to revitalise Orchard Road and Bugis areas and rejuvenate HDB towns. The engineering profession will need to work closely with professionals in architecture and other related areas to translate these ideas into reality.

7 The challenge for engineers is formidable. Today, not only do you have to design and construct safe buildings, you also have to deliver higher quality products while working within the various constraints. As Singapore is already densely built up, many developments would have to go deeper and higher, and be constructed with minimal disturbance to the surroundings. The profession will need to continually upgrade itself, seek out innovative building methods and exploit the latest technologies.

8 The engineering profession must also contribute actively to our economic development by building up knowledge and expertise. It is not just the number of engineers we have that counts, but also the quality of our engineering expertise. The profession will need to invest more in professional development, and research and development across all disciplines. This is to ensure that our knowledge and expertise is constantly updated and able to support new sectors of growth such as the life sciences, information and communications technology, and nanotechnology.

Professionalism

9 As professionals, you shoulder onerous responsibilities. Professionalism is not only about building up expertise and competence. It is also about integrity, independence, and high ethical standards.

10 In the construction industry, for example, heavy reliance is placed on the professional engineers to ensure compliance with building regulations at all stages of development, from design to construction. This vital responsibility must be strictly upheld to ensure public safety. The government, industry associations and all professionals must work together to ensure that we continue to promote and make professionalism the bedrock of the engineering profession.

11 In this respect, my Ministry has recently introduced several legislative amendments to the Professional Engineers Act. The PE Bill was passed in Parliament in August this year. Changes are being made to strengthen the regulatory framework, and uphold professionalism of practicing engineers. One significant change is the election of Board Members to the Professional Engineers Board (PEB). This will give professional engineers greater say in choosing their representatives, and hence influence the development of the profession.

12 Another key amendment is the expansion of the Board’s composition. From 1 Jan 2006, the PEB will have 15 Board Members, up from the current 10 Members. This will enable the Board to perform its roles more effectively, and undertake new functions such as managing an examination system for PE registration, and registration system for specialist engineers. The larger Board will also be able to accommodate the desire of the profession to have a good mix in its composition, such as having more members from the private practice and representation from more engineering disciplines.

13 The revised PE Act will also have provisions for the registration of professional engineers in specialised areas. In the construction industry, to ensure higher safety standards, temporary earth retaining structures (TERS) for deep excavation works will need to be designed by PEs specialised in geotechnical engineering.

Roles of IES

14 I am pleased to note that IES, as a representative of all engineering professionals, participated actively in this legislative review. Over the years, IES has also provided valuable views and feedback to BCA on various matters related to construction safety and building control matters.

15 I am also pleased to note that IES is playing a useful role in promoting the engineering profession in Singapore and the region. IES is the accreditation body for engineering courses in local universities, and has engaged the universities and polytechnics to promote the profession.

16 IES is now playing a leading role in the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO). Being the largest professional organisation in Singapore, with a relatively long history and a strong membership base, IES could provide training for engineers from other countries. For example, IES could offer assistance and expertise in solving housing problems in the tsunami-stricken regions, and the haze problem. IES could also help in developing bio-fuels together with our Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts.

Conclusion

17 I am sure that the innovative spirit of the engineering profession will see it rise to the challenges. The determination to provide creative engineering solutions to meet critical needs was best illustrated during the SARS crisis in 2003. Then, to prevent the incursion of the virus into Singapore without unduly impeding the operations at our border control points, our engineers devised an effective thermal scanning equipment for mass screening.

18 In conclusion, I encourage you to always keep at the forefront of engineering sciences, and to uphold the profession by embracing professionalism.

19 I wish IES and its members all the best for the future. Have an enjoyable evening. Thank you.

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