I wish to take this opportunity to say that I am honoured to be elected 33rd President of ACEM. Since its founding in 1963, ACEM has grown into a respected voice for Malaysia’s consulting engineering sector. ACEM now represents over 850 individual members—owners or shareholders of engineering consultancy practice (ECP), with a strong presence in Sabah and Sarawak. In 2021, we have set a target to reach 1,000 members. While economic challenges in the construction sector have slowed progress, this goal remains an important milestone over the coming years.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to our Immediate Past President, Ir. Chong, for his exceptional leadership over the past two years. I also extend my appreciation to all past presidents, council members and all our members for their unwavering support and contributions to ACEM.

The last 6 decades have been a journey of collaboration, resilience, and progress. Our members have not only helped build the nation’s physical infrastructure but have also nurtured a thriving community of engineers dedicated to learning, mentorship, and continuous improvement.

As we look ahead, we must recognise the growing importance of sustainability, innovation, and technological transformation. The consulting engineering industry must remain central to Malaysia’s development, not only by maintaining relevance but by becoming a sector of choice for aspiring engineers.

It is an undeniable reality that rising operational costs is the biggest challenge that we faced. This is a result of ever increasing overheads costs, the costs to meet regulatory demands and the capital investment needed in capacity building in adopting new technology and in particular the drive for digital transformation and the adoption of ESG initiatives within the industry.

On the other hand, the prevailing unsustainable low fees may compromise quality, talent retention, and long-term growth of the engineering consultancy industry. We must together advocate for fair compensation for professional services. Quality and safety should never be compromised by pricing pressures.

Together, with shared values and purpose, we can elevate the profession and ensure that our contributions continue to benefit generations to come.

I look forward to the continuous support and contribution from our members either through your participation in our standing committees, training programs and as ACEM representatives to technical committees in government implementation agencies and regulatory bodies.