OPENING REMARKS 23RD INTERNATIONAL SURVEYORS’ CONGRESS 24TH& 25TH JUNE 2021
( Lebih 500 peserta dari dalam dan luar negara menyertai kongres ini yang dilaksanakan secara maya )
Assalamualaikumwarahmatullahiwabarakatuh, Salam Sejahtera and a very good morning to all.
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Sr Thiruselvam Arumugam
President of the
Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM)
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Sr Dr. Azhari Bin Mohamed
Organizing Chair of the
RISM 23rd International Surveyors’ Congress
Esteemed Speakers,
Fellows and Members of RISM,
Presidents of Professional Bodies,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. First and foremost, I am honored to welcome all of you to the Twenty Third International Surveyors’ Congress (ISC 2021). I am also delighted that we are able to gather and to meet with members from all disciplines of the surveying fraternity, both local and international, even though virtual platform, to understand outstanding issues, upscale and to charter strategies for the profession to participate and compete in a global liberalized market environment.
2. The theme selected for this year: Digital Transformation of Surveyors: Setting The Azimuth; fits well with what we and the world are experiencing at the moment. In setting the azimuth, surveyors could establish a new direction or a way forward through digital transformation. This is important in order to ensure that the surveying profession is in line with the current technology, stay relevant and sustainable, surveyors must be prepared in terms of human capacity, facility and technology in meeting new and future challenges.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
3. The COVID 19 pandemic has fast-tracked and amplified the adoption of new technologies as well as technological advancements in digitalization. Every player in the industry has urgent need to adopt and adapt to the new situation in the industry in order to thrive and grow as the challenges are insurmountable. Surveyors have immersed themselves in new technology and digitalization to cope with demands and expectation from client as well as to discover new infrastructure development opportunities.
4. For instance, under my Ministry, we have managed to facilitate seamless geodata collaboration with the COVID-19 crisis management team. A special dashboard has been developed as a platform to display daily and cumulative outbreak numbers nationally, insight on colour-coded zoning in districts, and able to identify contaminated areas which required further actions.
5. The latest and most innovative tool in the history of surveying is the use of UAV platform for surveying and mapping. Drones are used for a wide range of functions such as in disaster mitigation, monitoring climate change, delivering goods, aiding in search and rescue operations, fleet monitoring, smart agriculture and in filming and photography. In addition to the fact that drones can be efficiently used in surveying and mapping by Land surveyors, Building Surveyor also uses drones as part of their building inspection methodology.
6. Inevitably, a new age of surveying will be powered by technology and certainly Artificial Intelligence and Automation will ease the operations of surveyors and produce better results and products.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
7. Digital transformation in the real estate sector has seen an insurgence over the last couple of years. Traditional business models in the areas of marketing, valuation and property management have been quick to respond to changes in the demand for efficiency, speed and convenience. The significance is especially felt during the Covid-19 pandemic, in which the Movement Control Order had caused major disruption to the real estate sector, prompting industry players to pivot exponentially in the realm of digitization. For instance, by digitizing the user experience and bringing it to the forefront of technology innovation, developers and real estate agents successfully selling properties via online meeting platforms remotely and virtual reality.
8. As the world is fast embracing digital transformation, one should be reminded that the technology must be created and applied as an “enabler” and not a “disrupter”. The technology, with its advanced capabilities must be served as a tool to enrich the lives of Surveyors and not to replace them, in order to preserve the relevancy of the profession.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
9. I am fully aware that RISM is a professional Institution incorporating 4 surveying disciplines namely Geomatics and Land Surveying, Quantity Surveying, Property Surveying and Building Surveying. The four disciplines under the umbrella of RISM form a complete ecosystem in the built industry of a nation. Hence, in embracing digitalization the government and the nation expect the profession to set its Azimuth right and steadfast in providing services comparable to global practices and to practice their professionalism with integrity and to the highest level.
10. I would like to thank everyone who came to this platform to provide their aspiring speech and share their words of wisdoms with us. I wish this Congress a great success and that all participants will benefit in one way or another in their endeavors towards the future and to ride the business opportunities that come along.
11. On this note, it is with pleasure that I announce the 23rd International Surveyors’ Congress is now open and may you have a productive session.
Thank you.
YB DATUK SERI SHAMSUL ANUAR NASARAH
Menteri Tenaga Dan Sumber Asli.
