Ewon backs ‘Sabah First’ to strengthen local engineers

KOTA KINABALU (March 10): The Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) Sabah Branch has received a significant boost for its strategic “Sabah First” mandate following a high-level meeting with the Ministry of Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport (MINDET) on Monday.

This landmark proposal aims to ensure that local engineering expertise remains the primary driver of the state’s ambitious development and industrialization goals.

During a courtesy visit to the Deputy Chief Minister III and Minister of MINDET, Datuk Ewon Benedick, the ACEM Sabah delegation was led by its Chairman, Benny Song Perng Yeu.

The delegation included Deputy Chairman Wah Kheng Haw, Honorary Treasurer Kenny Lo, and Executive Committee members Tan Koh Yon, Lee Tet Fon, Lo Chong Chiun, and Mohd Arzahri Bin Abd Rahman.

During the session, Song emphasized that local Engineering Consultancy Practices (ECPs) serve as the essential technical guardians of Sabah’s physical and industrial landscape.

In a major milestone for the local fraternity, Ewon expressed his full support for the “Sabah First” policy, acknowledging the importance of prioritizing regional expertise and ensuring that Sabahan professionals lead the way in the state’s growth trajectory.

A major highlight of the discussion centred on the recent integration of the Transportation portfolio into MINDET. The Minister revealed that his Ministry will soon be mooting the Sabah Sustainable Transport Masterplan and explicitly stated that the government will require ACEM’s technical advice and professional input to realize this vision.

Song reassured the Minister that ACEM Sabah is fully committed to providing comprehensive technical expertise and professional insights to ensure the Masterplan is both robust and successfully implemented for the long-term benefit of the state.

To ensure local engineers remain competitive under the “Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0” framework, ACEM Sabah also called for government assistance in digitalizing the engineering consultancy service sector. As many local engineering consulting firms operate as professional SMEs, the Association proposed specialized financial aids to accelerate the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

This support would include grants for digital infrastructure and subsidies for professional BIM certifications, ensuring that Sabahan engineers possess the cutting-edge tools and stay at forefront in design technologies.

In his closing remarks, Song emphasized that through this close collaboration between the Ministry and local professionals, the State can significantly accelerate the realization of the Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 development agenda.

The Association expressed its deep appreciation to the Deputy Chief Minister for his vision and for the opportunity to contribute professional engineering insights toward the continuous progress of Sabah.