< Previous18 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 MBAM Comments on the Construction Industry As we head into a new decade full of new opportunities and challenges, the construction industry must prepare itself to be highly competitive and ever-ready to address any arising issues that challenge sustainability and growth. Business leaders must acknowledge that it can no longer be ‘business as usual’ for the Malaysian construction sector if we want to grow to greater heights, especially since the industry was expected to grow by 3.7% before the Movement Control Order in the year 2020 under economy constraints and uncertainties. Malaysia has been impacted by the COVID-19. I hope MBAM Members and industry players will do their part to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and also to practice higher standards of hygiene. Together, I am sure we will emerge from this outbreak much stronger and resilient. MBAM is pleased to note that the 2020 Economic Stimulus Package has been introduced to ensure economic risks associated with the outbreak are effectively addressed. MBAM welcomes the allocation of RM2 billion for the immediate implementation of small infrastructure repair and upgrading projects nationwide, especially in rural areas, which will help Bumiputra contractors. MBAM strongly urges industry players to heed the Movement Control Order (MCO) that has been issued to the rakyat and abide by the rule that only essential services that impact safety and health can continue to work during the 18 to 31 March 2020 period and any extension thereof. MBAM had successfully appealed to the government to categorise the safety and health related works under critical works at construction sites in order to avoid any confusion in the future. Contractors are now allowed to do housekeeping and dewatering at site for the sake of safety and health. The site must be cleaned. Forging and larvaciding is allowed to go on to avoid breeding of pests and mosquitoes during the MCO. This is to avoid being fined by the authorities but more crucially is to ensure the safety and health of residences living nearby from site. Last year, the Government announced the revival of several infrastructure projects, including the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) and Bandar Malaysia projects. MBAM hopes that the award of projects can quickly pick up in 2020, given the mild expansionary Budget 2020 announcement, which included a RM56 billion allocation for development expenditure. MBAM notes that many members are exploring overseas construction opportunities to replenish and maintain a healthy order book despite the challenging operational environment. In this aspect, MBAM will be organising overseas business trips with our respective Government agencies. We hope the Government will help ensure a consistent flow of projects throughout the year for the construction industry. Happy reading! Yours sincerely, Foo Chek Lee JMW MBAM President From the Desk of Foo Chek Lee MBAM President “ Industry players should urgently consider technology adoption to spearhead productivity and lower costs in the long run. The Government, on the other hand, need to ensure ease of doing business and reduce costs. More needs to be done and I assure you that MBAM is fully committed to helping members achieve this vision. ”Co - Organizer OrganizerEndorsed by: TERMS & CONDITIONS ENQUIRIES The Panel of Judges of the Awards have the right to disqualify entries which contained false information / declaration. All documents will be treated with the strictest confidence and can only be viewed by the Panel of Judges. The decision of Panel of Judges’ is final. Any appeal will NOT be entertained. Winners of the Awards shall be able to share their knowledge in any of MBAM related events upon invited. MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION MALAYSIA (MBAM) Persatuan Kontraktor Binaan Malaysia, No. 2, Jalan 2/109E, Desa Business Park, 58100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan. Tel: 03-7984 8636 | Fax: 03- 7982 6811 E-mail: mbam06@mbam.org.my | mbam23@mbam.org.my Contact Person: Ms Chai Min Fung, Senior Manager | Ms Shirley Foo, Executive Officer CLOSING DATE : TH JUNE 2020 1520 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 Women in Construction Cover Feature Considered by many to be a dirty, difficult and dangerous industry suited for men only, the evolution of the construction industry over the years included increased women participation. MBJ talks to six women from diverse specialties within the construction industry to find out the hows, whats and whys of their career paths.21 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 T raditionally a male-dominated industry, there is a growing interest among women to enter the industry in the last few decades. With the ever-evolving gender roles in work as well as home environments within Malaysia and across the globe, gender- specific professions have become an outdated concept in the work environment, and the construction industry is no exception. Over the years, new product and technological developments along with new and more sophisticated build systems have led to an expansion of the construction work portfolio, creating new specialisations and increased job opportunities for both men and women alike. While the increase of women participation in the industry is relatively slow compared to many other industries, female participation in the construction industry is seen to be on the uptrend. Datuk Ir Rosaline Ganendra: My father, P Ganendra was my inspiration. He founded Ganendra Ahmad & Associates Sdn Bhd and later Minconsult Sdn Bhd, one of the leading engineering consultancies in Malaysia and the region. Both my parents believed that their children should strive for anything their ambition drives them too. Gender was never an issue and definitely not an obstacle. Nurul Afiqah Yunus: My sister said that there were a lot of job opportunities in the construction industry due to a high demand for a career in the industry. I did some research about this field and believed that what my sister said was true. I found out that the construction industry never ran out of jobs, as Malaysia is a developing country, thus engaging in numerous projects all professionals within the construction industry such as architects, engineers as well as quantity surveyors earning up to four times above the cost of living. Besides that, I can see that the construction industry has tangible results, that impact the community. Residential buildings, offices, commercial premises, schools or even a shopping malls – whatever we build will have a lasting impression on the over the country. The construction industry will continue to grow and there will only be more opportunities available to graduate students and professionals. Hence, after I obtained my Degree in Quantity Surveying from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), I am eager to enter the construction industry to start my career as a Quantity Surveyor. There are lots of associated Cover Feature Why did you enter the construction industry? Datuk Ir Rosaline Ganendra is currently a Director of Ganendra Ahmad & Associates Sdn Bhd since April 2019 and was also a Director of Minconsult Sdn Bhd with 36 years of technical experience in civil and structural engineering. In addition, she is a committee member of the Construction Industry Development Board’s (CIDB) ‘Coffee Table Book Iconic Project 2020’ and a committee member of the Monash University Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Panel. Datuk Ir Rose was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), a council member of the Global Science And Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC), a standing committee member on Corporate Affairs and Disaster Risk Reduction Advisory Board of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) and the Chair for the Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Panel of Monash University. She also served as a committee member of the Board of Engineers, Malaysia (BEM) working groups on Road Safety Auditor Registration and on Integrated Building Systems; was a member of the Executive Council and member of the World Federation of Engineering organisation (WFEO) and member of the Standing Committee for Women in Engineering (WIE). Datuk Ir Rose spearheaded the first international conference of Women in Science Engineering and Technology (WiSET) in Malaysia in 2012 and also the first Convention of Women in Construction (KUBINA) in 2014 for women professionals involved in the construction industry, organised by The Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). She was also the Advisor for the second International Conference of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WiSET) 2018. In her exemplary services to the engineering profession over the last 30 plus years and her championing of women involvement in engineering, Datuk Ir Rose was conferred the IEM Lady Engineer Award in 2009, the BELLA Businesswoman Award and the Ernest & Young Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award respectively in 2013 and the Construction Leading Lady Award by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) in September 2016. Datuk Ir Rosaline Ganendra Director Ganendra Ahmad & Associates Sdn Bhd Women in Construction 22 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 Cover Feature community. The growing construction industry will always have something new such as technology, materials, design, methods, etc. There are many kinds of interesting experience to obtain and lots of knowledge to gain. Siti Sarlina Abdul Rahman: As an aerospace engineering graduate, I naturally worked in the aviation industry during the early days of my career. I was with Airod for a while, planning for the service and maintenance of the USAF fleet of C-130. Circa 1996, the Malaysian construction industry was booming and I was intrigued with its vibrant pace. It seemed exciting and full of opportunities. At the same time, my job in Airod felt so routine and mundane as the scope and functions were pretty much fixed. I felt that as a person who just entered the job market, there were so much to explore, learn and experience and likewise, I knew I could give more in return; my energy, hard work and commitment towards the industry, society and our nation. So, I took a leap of faith and made a change to learn all over again. My first job in construction was at the Securities Commission head office in Bukit Kiara. The rest, they say, is history. Tan Zi Ni: It started during my schooling days when I noticed a big development of USJ Subang Jaya during the 1990s across the street where I stayed. I was amazed with how the homes and roads were built. I started asking my father, who just started his crane rental and equipment repair business, questions – how tower cranes were assembled, who are the people involved in the process, types of equipment used in construction sites and why the road is black and not cemented. Surprisingly, he always had an answer and that kept me asking more and more questions throughout the years. Yong Rashidah Mat Tuselim @ Selamat: I had always dreamt to be an architect, since I was little. I was intrigued by how cities are designed and built and have an affinity for knowing how these systems work in harmony. Instead, I was offered a scholarship from the Education Ministry to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering in the USA. Naturally, I thought that my dream would never materialise. Nevertheless, with the right nurturing from the right engineering education framework, I learned to love this vast field of people-serving profession, which involves the application of engineering principles and applied sciences to the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the whole value chain of infrastructures. Alhamdulillah my dream did come true, as the civil engineering field offers a fulfilling career with a wide spectrum of exposure for me to make a difference to the lives of individuals and society. Now, it has been a good 31 years since I’ve become a lecturer, teaching civil engineering courses to polytechnic students and facilitating their learning. Currently, I am a strong advocator for the Bachelor in Civil Engineering Technology (BCT) programme at Politeknik Ungku Omar (PUO). I believe the initiatives that we have implemented for BCT through work-based learning (WBL) in collaboration with Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) is the greatest satisfaction for us, for giving back to the nation and to our next generation. Zainora Zainal: Due to family commitments, I had to give up my career in SIRIM Bhd to relocate to the idyllic island of Labuan where I dabbled in the share market and soon became a licensed remisier. Unfortunately, my stint was cut short due to the financial crisis of 1997. By coincidence, there was an opening for a Technical Engineering Manager at Labuan Development Authority and I was offered the position based on my degree. Being new to the construction industry, I had to learn the business from scratch by being humble and diligent; and thankful to get full support and encouragement from the whole team. Nurul Afiqah Yunus is a former MBAM Education Fund Scholarship recipient who graduated from the University of Technology Malaysia with a Bachelor’s degree in Quantity Surveying in June 2019. She is currently entrusted to handle five construction projects, which is quite challenging for a fresh graduate but then, she likes to challenge herself to see how far she can go. She is currently pursuing her Master degree in Sustainable Architecture (Major in Economics in Sustainable Architecture) at University of Technology Mara. Nurul Afiqah Yunus Contract Executive Mokhnar & Associates Women in Construction 23 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 Cover Feature I find it interesting how the government use spending in construction to regulate the Malaysian economy during recession and the spillover effects created across other economic sectors. Also, this industry mainly deals with multidisciplinary teams that collaborate on specific tasks to complete complex construction projects. In order to achieve the final desired result, you need to have a strong technical background and excellent communication skills to discuss problems or challenges with varied perspectives as pre-requisites to be in this industry. So later, when it was time for my family to return to Kuala Lumpur, I applied to CIDB and was accepted based on my experience and track record. Since then, there’s no turning back. Datuk Ir Rosaline : The construction industry is based on meritocracy. To succeed, you need to work hard and work smart as well. Being a woman has its benefits because you tend to be more easily recognised. However, this visibility does mean that you have to be more conscious about yourself and your need to prove yourself constantly. At the same time of trying to secure your position in your job and in the industry, you have to juggle your career, home and life balance. To do that, I spent a lot of my time planning, not only for my immediate goals but my medium- and long-term goals as well. I also advocate the 4Ps – practice, performance, perseverance and patience. I am a consultant and thus needed to know my subject, and in order for me to know it well, it took practice, and a lot of it. To achieve my result, I needed to not only rate my performance among my peers but set a standard to strive towards it. Perseverance is key to this because things do not turn out in a way that it is initially envisaged, so I learned to change and adapt but still keep my goals in my line of sight. Last but not least is patience. This is a virtue that we don’t always have when we are young. When we were young, we wanted to be successful instantly. But as we get wiser, we realise that it takes a little bit more effort and time. Nurul Afiqah : I faced a lot of challenges when entering a new phase of my life, the working phase. As a fresh graduate, adapting to the work environment was quite a challenge for me. I had to adapt to new people and tasks I don’t have any experience doing. In addition to that, I was assigned to handle projects, visiting construction sites and attending meetings with people from other professions such as architects and engineers, and delivering presentations in front of them. Other than that, I must also be able to acquire new skills in measurement and bills of quantity (BQ), which uses software for measurement works, which I used to do manually during my studies. As for the opportunities in the construction industry, I have the opportunity to apply my theoretical knowledge from my studies to the projects that I am involved in and also be able to witness the progress of actual construction works with my own eyes. I will use these opportunities to enhance my knowledge that will help me to become a competent quantity surveyor. Siti Sarlina: The construction industry is a backbone to a nation’s development and progress. As such, it provides a vast spectrum of opportunity as well Tell us about the opportunities and challenges you face in the industry. Siti Sarlina Abdul Rahman graduated from State University of New York at Buffalo with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and also holds a Master Degree in Human Resource Management. She was with Airod Sdn Bhd as a Sales Engineer where her responsibilities included conducting performance analysis for all aircraft serviced before pursuing her career in quality control and quality assurance in construction companies. She started her career in construction industry as a Site Planning & QC Engineer thereafter as QA Engineer for 5 years before joining Trans Resources Corporation Sdn Bhd (TRC) as its Quality Manager. At TRC she was involved in various construction projects for more than 15 years and is currently the Acting Chief Executive Officer of TRC since 2019. She also served as an alternate director at TRC Group listed company, TRC Synergy Berhad, other than heading the HR & Administration Department of the Group. Siti Sarlina Abdul Rahman Acting Chief Executive Officer Trans Resources Corporation Sdn Bhd Women in Construction 24 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 Cover Feature 24 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #117 as challenges for those who are in this ‘fraternity’. Although construction is well known to be a male-dominated industry, I never really felt like an outcast. It may have something to do with how I always see and approach things. It was always ‘just do it’ and if in doubt, ask questions. I was lucky in the sense that I was surrounded by a circle of colleagues and superiors who were willing to share, teach and coach. It is, however, our attitudes which, in return, determines how others see and react to us. I have had opportunities to work with different teams and understand how people work together to achieve construction objectives or don’t work together to miserably fail. Other than that, there were also opportunities to observe and learn along the way, the evolution of technology and construction contracts. One of the significant challenges faced during my early years was struggling to balance between career and my young family. I must say that there were sacrifices made in our household, but with a strong support system in the family, especially the encouragement from my spouse, this challenge seemed not too daunting, and was manageable. Zi Ni: I always believed that an opportunity comes when you have an open mind while being cautious, working on ideas and mapping the path with your team members, ensuring that the delivery is executed according to plan. There will always be challenges during the process – how to manage the challenges and shortfalls with a positive attitude and to march forward, that’s of the utmost importance. Be curious, be brave to ask, it will only make you wiser and stronger. With more sites emphasising on safety and productivity, the demand for new machines with data logger and safety features do help to create opportunities for our business, whether it is an upstream in revenue or human capital on knowledge transfer with intensive training from our principal, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co.; Ltd. In addition, the government’s stimulation on the Industry 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence (AI) allows us to work with our principals to re- look into our products and services to cater for the revolution in the construction industry. The biggest challenge is educating our clients and changing the mindset of the machinery owners on proper maintenance of the machines and integrating the procedures into their day to day work routine. Without full understanding of the maintenance and care of the machineries, the life cycle of the machineries will be shorter, prone to breakdowns and even worse, causing accidents and unsafe lifting. On the other hand, the lack of government support on asset disposal subsidies has resulted in an excess of older machines in the market when many neighbouring countries imposed high import duties in response to the anti- dumping regulation. Yong Rashidah : Engineering education has become very challenging in the 21 st century. Combined with the evolving core technical skill requirements, the need to provide graduates with enhanced professional skills is quite a daunting proposition for us, the engineering educators. The engineering curriculum is already tightly defined by required courses, and academic staff, in general, have few resources and little time for learning and incorporating new materials. Our approach to these challenges is to implement the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) initiative in our curriculum framework, where educators stress both fundamental engineering science concepts and personal/interpersonal skills, engage and collaborate with the industry, and use outcome-based teaching practices. The Department of Polytechnic and Community College Education (DPCCE) had introduced work- based Learning (WBL) in Malaysian polytechnic bachelor’s degree programmes, which includes our BCT programme in PUO. WBL is a well- structured on-the-job training (OJT) Tan Zi Ni graduated from the University of Melbourne with a degree majoring in Accounting & Information System. In year 2005, she joined Trans Elite Group Sdn Bhd, a company founded by her father Dato’ Sri Tan Chia Lai. As the company’s Sales Director, she is responsible for driving strategy, development, and business growth for Trans Elite’s entire portfolio. She currently serves as a council member of Master Builders Association Malaysia and Secretary-General of Malaysia Mobile Crane Owners Association (1987). Tan Zi Ni Sales Director Trans Elite Group Sdn Bhd Women in Construction 25 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 Cover Feature programme developed together with BCT industry partners to meet the training needs of the industry and to provide real-life work environments. It has been designed as a structured internship programme with core discipline courses incorporated in the learning track for BCT Year 4. Through experiential learning at the workplace for a period of 10 months, students can further deepen their competencies for occupational skills, transferable workplace skills and personal effectiveness skills. Students are able to carry out internships in several related project management practices within the construction projects and gain valuable experience on risk management and project delivery in the construction industry. The PUO BCT programme is a collaboration with MBAM and its participating member companies to implement the WBL since 2015. We are very fortunate to be working with MBAM on the BCT-WBL programme and highly appreciate their support and coordination with various construction member companies, providing industry mentors for our students, and serving as industry advisor in our BCT-WBL curriculum development. Zainora: Being appointed as the first female State Director of CIDB Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (CIDB WPKL) is an opportunity for me to translate and implement policies developed by CIDB and to improve the quality and raise the standard of construction fraternity. This is made possible through collaborations with all stakeholders of construction industry such as the local councils like with DBKL and PPj, relevant government agencies, for example DOSH (Department of Occupational, Safety & Health) and DOE (Department of Environment), construction and construction related associations and professional bodies. The collaborations facilitated initiatives to promote more awareness among construction companies on the importance of complying with CIDB requirements for competence skilled workers, quality building materials and emphasis on safety and health at sites. On the international scene in my previous role at CIDB Malaysia, I was organising construction and construction related trade missions abroad to facilitate, monitor, promote and brand Malaysian companies venturing into overseas market, namely the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and ASEAN countries and was participating in various bilateral, regional and multilateral trade negotiations that included Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and World Trade Organisation (WTO). Through these trade missions and trade negotiations, I met many influential and interesting individuals that left an impression on me. Networking and building strong relationships with the right people, i.e. icons of industry, key personalities from local and abroad who can inspire and provide guidance, exposure and shared experiences helps me gain insight into the construction business in other regions or countries. This knowledge is useful to benchmark and share best practices with our local companies. Challenges include the dual burden of juggling work and family commitments. I had to resign twice in the early days of my career and later in CIDB, I took three years of unpaid leave for the sake of my family. Only in my late 30s, when my children were older I was able to stay put and continue working. I was very motivated and driven, perhaps to make up for lost time, and kept going, always ready to take any opportunity along the way to show my commitment towards the job and beyond. In my previous role at International Business, the work Yong Rashidah Mat Tuselim is a senior lecturer at the Civil Engineering Department of Politeknik Ungku Omar (PUO), Ipoh, Perak. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University, USA in 1986 and a M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2002. She is currently the Coordinator for the Bachelor’s Degree Programme as well as the Head of Centre of Quality Assurance and Risk Management for PUO. She is a certified CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) Master Trainer for Department of Polytechnic & Community College Education, Ministry of Higher Education since 2014 and had undergone upskilling on Design Thinking at Genovasi Malaysia. She has been actively training and facilitating Malaysia Polytechnics’ lecturers and students in the CDIO integrated curriculum framework and Design Thinking activities for social innovation projects and industries projects. Her current focus is on the continual improvement of Work-based Learning (WBL) approach in Malaysia Polytechnics’ Bachelor’s Degree programmes with the nation’s industry players. Yong Rashidah Mat Tuselim @ Selamat Senior Lecturer, Civil Engineering Department Politeknik Ungku Omar Women in Construction 26 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 Cover Feature commitment sometimes required long and frequent overseas trips. Preparation for travel was not only limited to the mission but as a mother and wife, the comfort and well-being of the family must be cared for even while away. This is when a working woman will lean on the practical and emotional support of their extended family, if any. It’s sometimes tough for a woman to be taken seriously, so make sure your voice and years of experience make an impact. Unfortunately for most of us, experience comes with age. Regardless of your age, we should always speak with authority in our area of expertise to contribute positively to the issue at hand. Use your gender to your advantage and once you have identified and nurtured your unique skills and abilities, own it. We are all individuals with differences so be proud and don’t let others bring you down. Datuk Ir Rosaline: I hope the younger generation of women will realise that there are equal opportunities in the construction industry for them. I hope that the older generation of women already in the construction industry will realise that they are entitled to and are in their respective positions due to their own abilities and qualifications, and be in the most senior positions in the construction business. Women in the construction should make themselves more visible. They should join institutional organisations like the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACEM), Wanita Industri Binaan MY (WIBM) to give back to the industry. We should all strive for what we want to achieve regardless of gender. Nurul Afiqah: As a quantity surveyor, I aspire to obtain the ‘Sr’ title. Having that title for me is a form of recognition for my knowledge, skills and abilities. People with ‘Sr’, from my observation, are competent and well versed in the What aspirations do you have for yourself and the construction industry? Zainora Zainal has more than 25 years of diverse working experience and has been with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia from 1998 where she is currently the State Director for CIDB Kuala Lumpur since April 2017. She is responsible to translate and implement operational duties within the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya related to construction policies and regulations of Act 520 developed by CIDB headquarters. In her previous portfolio as General Manager of Business at CIDB headquarters, she was tasked to establish and maintain a construction industry information system with updated data for major indexes directly related to construction costs, such as building material, machinery and equipment, and labour. She also keeps track of construction contracts awarded and provides economic analysis on the construction trends in the domestic market. On the global front, she led many international initiatives to facilitate, monitor, promote and brand Malaysian companies venturing into overseas market, namely the Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria and Iran), Europe (Turkey and UK), Central Asia (Kazakhstan), South Asia (India, Sri Lanka and Maldives) and ASEAN countries, mainly on G2G relationship. She had also, among other duties, attended and presented papers at seminars, locally and internationally, led negotiations and represented CIDB in bilateral and regional activities. Prior to joining CIDB, Puan Zainora had also worked as the Technical Engineering Manager with Labuan Development Authority from 1996, where she was directly involved in the enforcement and approval process for Development Plan, Building Plan and Certificate of Fitness for various construction projects in the Federal Territory of Labuan. In 1992, Puan Zainora was attached with the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), where she facilitated the coordination and implementation of research grants from multilateral agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and United Nations Development Programme. She also played an integral part in developing safety compliance testing for electrical and electronic products to national and international standards. Puan Zainora graduated with Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical & Electronics) Honours Degree from Coventry University in the Midlands, United Kingdom in 1990 under the Public Services Department scholarship programme. Upon graduation, she was selected to participate in the Graduate Training Programme organised by the Government of Malaysia in collaboration with the GEC Group (UK) as trainee engineer under their subsidiary companies Hotpoint Ltd and GEC Plessey Telecommunication before returning home to serve the Malaysian Government. Zainora Zainal State Director, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) Women in Construction 27 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #118 Cover Feature construction process. Having the title also makes it easier to convince my future clients. It also motivates me to always improvise and give my best in every task that is given to me. I am eager to build my reputation and become well known by industry players. I want to become a pioneer in this construction industry. Thus, I am also open to studying and adapting to new technology in construction. That being said, I am already capable of using the Cubit Pro and Glodon software, as I was using it heavily during my industrial training. I am currently exploring the Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology that enables the virtualisation of the building in 3d. This could greatly assist me in providing more accurate estimations, which could be beneficial to my future clients. Siti Sarlina: At the risk of being labelled as sexist, I would want to create awareness and be able to develop young women who aspire to flourish in the construction industry, to make them understand that there is no such thing as a ‘glass ceiling’. It is always our attitudes, determination, hard work, perseverance and perhaps a little bit of luck that will get us to where we want to be. The industry provides vast opportunities for them to progress forward in their professional careers if they are ready to take up the challenge. Nevertheless, working hard towards it is a must. There are no short cuts (this applies to their male counterpart as well). The construction industry as a whole, needs to continue to be the main player in driving Malaysia to become a developed nation. To play this role, it must be in the frontline to develop enough human capacities and capabilities to drive the workforce alongside with the deployment of new technology and methodologies. Zi Ni: In the construction industry, women may encounter gender- related challenges such as gender discrimination, lack of adequate mentorship, and social perceptions. In addition, they may have the misconception that construction works is a male-dominated industry with little room to move higher up the chain, is a lower tier job as it does not require a degree from university and has a higher injury risk. These challenges can be addressed with supportive engagement by the management and human resources department, combined with one’s own-self initiative to confront and groom their limits. To accelerate future betterment, our government bodies can build awareness, starting from our education system, holding campaigns and talks to spark interest to younger women to join the industry and to understand their potential. I do urge younger women to stop doubting their capabilities, have the courage to face challenges, to work as a team and to voice out their opinions for the best interest of their respective companies, as their perspectives and actions can be equally or more valuable and different, offering companies both complementary and alternative views to consider. I believe that with more proponents of advancing women and their points of view, it will definitely help organisations become more innovative and creative. Trust yourself, never fear to climb up to the top and make it a lifelong career. Yong Rashidah: Advances in understanding how people learn engineering, corresponding evidence-based innovations in pedagogy and technological tools of IR4.0 for the education of engineers and engineering technologists, and the digital fluency of incoming generations of students are all creating new needs and opportunities for the engineering education to adapt. Our academic staff can take advantage of the students’ technological capabilities while embracing student-centred approaches designed to impart the skills and attributes needed in the workplaces of today and tomorrow. With this convergence of trends, it is high time for teaching methods to change whilst engagement and collaboration with the industries are deemed necessary. These curricular changes both improve graduates’ professional and lifelong learning skills and improve diversity by attracting more women to the construction industry. Zainora : I wish for a cultural change within our industry where the top management shall be encouraged to hire more women into senior positions. We can set targets for companies to develop more women of the right capabilities, skills and experience for the positions. All parties must play their part – the government, business community and individual companies – to create a supportive network. Coaching and mentoring more women in the industry can be inherently built into the system so we can continuously track the progress towards achieving those targets. As a woman in the public sector, I am eager to advance myself and build a personally fulfilling and rewarding career in CIDB and beyond. I aspire to become a better person and to help with CIDB’s performance related to growth, development and collaboration with others in the industry. We are living in trying times now. The Movement Control Order due to COVID 19 imposed on Malaysia has made companies reassess their working culture. Forcing people to work from home has encouraged creative ways to get work done, such as e-meetings through Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc. It would be wonderful if the industry can adopt innovative solutions to lessen the dual burden faced by women torn between work and family responsibilities, so more can be retained in the industry.Next >