Ingenieur Vol 58 April-June 2014 Ingenieur Vol 58 April-June 2014

C
I CT
NVERGENCE
MITIGATING
CYBER THREATS
APPLICATION OF ICT
IN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
APPLICATION OF RFID AND IT
IN MONITORING QUALITY OF CONCRETE
INNOVATION IN ELECTRICITY
SUPPLY VALUE CHAIN: SMART GRID
INGENIEUR
THE
VOL.58
APRIL-JUNE 2014
M A G A Z I N E O F T H E B O A R D O F E N G I N E E R S, M A L A Y S I A
KDN PP 11720/4/2013 (032270)
L E M B AGA J U R U TE R A MA L AY S I A
BOARD OF ENGI NEERS MALAYSI A
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CONTENTS
71
6 Presidents Message
Announcement
8 Publication Calendar
The Ingenieur e-magazine
on Smartphones & iPad
Cover Feature
10 Mitigating Cyber Threats
16 ICT for Operational
Excellence
Special Feature
21 Application of ICT in Traffc
Management
26 Application of RFID and IT
in Monitoring Quality of
Concrete
32 Application of ICT in Road
and Transportation Safety
Project Report
38 Enhancing Green Card
Through RFID Application
16 21
3
47 Innovation In Electricity Supply Value
Chain: Smart Grid
Spotlight
53 Datuk Ir. Hamim Samuri: Technocrat
cum Politician
Feature
57 Development Control Via One Stop
Centre Online
59 What the Gen Y Employees Really
Want
61 Job Opportunities & Qualifed IT
Employees
66 MCMC: Shaping a Connected Future
71 The Role of ICT In National
Development
Lighter Moments
80 Shaikys View Convergence
59 32
47
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6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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E
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2013-2014
PRESIDENT
YBhg Dato Seri Ir. Hj. Mohd Noor bin Yaacob
BOARD MEMBERS
SECRETARY
Ir. Ruslan bin Abdul Aziz
REGISTRAR
Ir. Hizamul-din bin Ab. Rahman
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Ir. Ashari bin Mohd Yakub
EDITORIAL BOARD
ADVISOR
YBhg Dato Seri Ir. Hj. Mohd Noor bin Yaacob
CHAIRMAN
YBhg Dato Prof. Ir. Dr Hassan bin Basri
EDITOR
YBhg Dato Ir. Fong Tian Yong
EDITORIAL MEMBERS
Prof. Ir. Dr K S Kannan
Ir. Prem Kumar
Ir. Chan Boon Teik
PUBLICATION OFFICER
Pn Nik Kamaliah Nik Abdul Rahman
The Ingenieur is published quarterly by the Board of Engineers Malaysia (Lembaga Jurutera Malaysia)
and is distributed free to registered Professional Engineers.
The statements and opinions expressed in this publicaton are those of the writers.
BEM invites all engineers and readers to contribute relevant artcles and views to the Publisher.
PUBLISHER
Lembaga Jurutera Malaysia
Tingkat 17, Ibu Pejabat JKR, Jalan Sultan Salahuddin,
50580 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2698 0590 Fax 03-2692 5017
e-mail: nikkamalia@bem.org.my
website: www.bem.org.my
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: Inforeach Communicatons Sdn Bhd
PRINTER: Art Printng Works Sdn Bhd
LEMBAGA JURUTERA MALAYSIA
BOARD OF ENGINEERS MALAYSIA
YBhg. Dato Ir. Nordin bin Hamdan
YBhg. Datuk Wira Ir. Md Sidek bin Ahmad
YBhg. Datuk Ir. Hj Abdul Latf bin Mohd Som
YBhg. Dato Prof. Ir. Dr Hassan bin Basri
Ir. Mohtar bin Musri
Ir. Yahiya bin Awang Kahar
Ir. Zuraimi bin Haji Sabki
Ir. Prem Kumar M Vasudevan
Ir. Dr Abdul Majid bin Dato' Abu Kassim
Ir. Tan Yean Chin
Ir. Gunasagaran Kristnan
Ir. Gopal Narian Kuty
Ir. Prof. Dr Lee Teang Shui
Ir. Choo Kok Beng
Ar. Dr Tan Loke Mun
Sr. Nik Zainal Alam bin Hassan
REHAU
RAUTITAN RAUFUSION
HYBRID
REHAU Hybrid Magazine Advert - JKT.indd 1 3/27/2014 12:02:19 PM
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
P
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T
he emergence of new information and
communication technologies (ICTs) has
not only changed the lifestyle of all walks
of life; it has transformed the work culture and
the way business is conducted. A packet of beef
at the supermarket will have a QR code indicating
the farm source and processing plant. A scan
of the QR code at a tourist spot will provide all
information related to it without the need of
explanation of local guide. Consulting engineers
without computing software can no longer
survive in the present competitive environment.
ICT convergence will raise integration
between smart devices, peripheral devices,
ubiquitous networks and robust cloud data
centers that allow consumers to perform multiple
applications such as uploading documents,
downloading data and a variety of functions.
ICT convergence will prompt more mobile device
transactions as network coverage extends to all
corners of the region.
With this, we expect to see a new
ecosystem of opportunity, a communications
and information infrastructure that has the
potential to advance the economic and social
well-being of the nation and its people.
The Malaysian Government has the
foresight to engage ICT, notably in the setting up
of the National Information Technology Council
(NITC) whose vision is to transform Malaysia
into an information society, then to a knowledge
society and finally to a value-based society.
The NITC Strategic Agenda highlights the five
areas critical to our migration to E-World namely
E-Community, E-Public Services, E-Learning,
E-Economy and E-Sovereignty. The National
Strategic ICT Roadmap sets the direction of the
ICT industry to capitalize on the opportunities in
the new technology focus.
As I will be retiring, this is my parting
message to all readers. I would like to thank
all Board members, Publication Committee
and Editorial Board members for their past
contribution and support given to me during my
two-year tenure as President of BEM. I am happy
to note the few milestones achieved such as
the proposed amendment to the Registration of
Engineers Act. I hope you will give similar co-
operation to my successor.
Dato Seri Ir Hj Mohd Noor bin Yaacob
President, BEM
ICT Convergence
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INGENIEUR
THE
VOL.57
JANUARY-MARCH 2014
M A G A Z I N E O F T H E B O A R D O F E N G I N E E R S, M A L A Y S I A
KDN PP 11720/4/2013 (032270)
L E M B AGA J U R U TE R A MA L AY S I A
BOARD OF ENGI NEERS MALAYSI A
Challenges in the Construction
of the Pahang-Selangor Raw
Water Transfer Tunnel
Rainwater Utilisation Systems
in Malaysia
Water Security in Malaysia
Global Directions towards
creating Water Footprints
MANAGING WATER
PHOTO COURTESY OF Ir. FONG CHEW CHUNG
PUBLICATION CALENDAR
The Ingenieur is published quarterly by the
Board of Engineers Malaysia. The following
are the themes for the coming issues.
VOL 59 July-Sept 2014 SAFE
ENGINEERING
VOL 60 Oct-Dec 2014 ENERGY
RESOURCES
Articles and editorial contributions
relevant to the themes are welcomed,
but the decision to publish rests with the
Editorial Board.
Advertising inquiries are also welcomed.
Please refer to the BEM advertisement
in this issue for the latest rate card and
booking form.
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6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
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W
ith the growing trend in ICT convergence,
many aspects of life are now played out
in cyberspace. A multitude of photos and
messages are exchanged on the mobile phone
every day. More and more money is transmitted
with a few computer clicks. It is thus not surprising
that unsavoury real world activity like crime is
also happening in the virtual world. According to
the Commercial Crime Division of Royal Malaysian
Police, RM1.8billion losses were recorded from
cybercrime or online cases in 2013.
For every investigation of cyber crime in
the news, there are hundreds that will never
make the headline. The exploitation of ICT has
also introduced new terms of crimes such as
hacking, phishing, spamming, web defacement,
cyber stalking, cyber harassment, botnet, malware
infection and others. In all cases, the criminal is a
subject to the full force of law. Taking cognisance of
this trend, Malaysia has taken steps to safeguard
the Government and the public against various
types of cyber threats.
In place are legislation related to cyber crime,
the National Cyber Security Policy (NCSP), and
CyberSecurity Malaysia, a specialist agency, under
the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology
and Innovation (MOSTI), which has technical
expertise in the defence of and security against
cyber threats.
Amongst cyber specific laws that address
specific issues relating to cyber matters, include:
Computer Crimes Act (CCA) 1997
Digital Signature Act 1997
Telemedicine Act 1997
Communications and Multimedia Act
(CMA) 1998
Optical Disk Act 2000
Electronic Commerce Act 2006
Electronic Governments Activities Act
2007
Personal Data Protection Act 2010
For example, the CCA relates to misuse
of computers and offences are unauthorised
access to computer materials and unauthorised
modifications of content of any computer.
HACKERS
VIRUSES
CYBERATTACKS
IDENTITY THEFT
ESPIONAGE
Mitigating Cyber Threats
Online fraud, system
intrusion, cyber espionage
and malware attacks are
amongst cyber threats
that are on the rise in
Malaysia. CyberSecurity
Malaysia, a national cyber
security specialist is the
Government agency that
provides expertise and
technical services for the
public and private sectors
as well as the community to
mitigate such threats to the
countrys vital infrastructure
and economic growth.
11
Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab,
CyberSecurity Malaysias CEO
Whereas, the CMA deals with regulation of the
communications and multimedia industry, namely
fraudulent use of network facilities plus offensive
content on the Internet. However, there are also non
cyber specific laws that may be used to address
online activities whenever applicable namely:
Sedition Act 1948
Penal Code
Defamation Act 1957
Copyright Act 1987
Evidence Act 114A
In terms of policy, the Government has
crafted the NCSP to ensure that the countrys ten
Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII)
health, water, banking and finance, information
and communications, energy, transport, defence
and security, Government, food and agriculture and
emergency services is secure, resilient and self
reliant in mitigating cyber threats and attacks.
Playing a technical support role is Government
agency, CyberSecurity Malaysia. The Board of
Engineers Malaysia spoke to CyberSecurity
Malaysias Chief Executive Officer, Dr Amirudin
Abdul Wahab on the role of the agency and various
issues in cyber security.
Dr Amirudin explains that CyberSecurity
Malaysia is structured to mitigate cyber threats but
it is not a law enforcement agency. He describes it
as the IT Security Department for the country that
provides technical assistance to law enforcement
agencies to analyse and investigate cyber incidents.
Such incidents include cyber harassment, denial of
service, fraud, intrusion, malicious computer codes
and spam that are reported to Cyber999 centre
(via web, email, sms, phone, fax) manned by the
Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team
(MyCERT), a department within CyberSecurity
Malaysia. In 2013, 10,636 cases were reported
(see table), an increase of 6.51% over 2012.
Dr Amirudin acknowledges that the rise
in cyber crimes is a worldwide trend. He quotes
McAfee Labs which predicts 2014 to be a
vulnerable year as more businesses move their
operations into the cloud and adopt the trend of
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). Cyber crimes are
expected to intensify in the mobile channel through
socially engineered attacks and mobile apps.
Dr Amirudin adds that cyber attacks can easily
spread across borders. A case in point was the
three-day cyber war between Malaysian and Filipino
hackers, triggered by the Lahad Datu incident
last year. Malaysian hackers allegedly attacked
Filipino Government and private websites. Filipino
hackers responded in kind, and up to 44 websites
belonging to both countries were defaced before a
ceasefire was called.
Although behind the scenes, support
services provided by CyberSecurity Malaysia to
the Law Enforcement Agencies has helped the law
enforcement agencies in their investigation and
solved many cases of cyber crime and curtailed
financial damage.
Just like crime scene investigation (CSI)
in the real world of crime, there is CyberCSI
in the cyber world. CyberSecurity Malaysia
utilises its Digital Forensic Lab, manned by
technical experts, to investigate crime in
the virtual world. Digital forensics involves
detection, containment, analysis, eradication
and recovery. High standards are followed in this
process. Dr Amirudin notes that CyberSecurity
Malaysias digital forensic laboratory is the
first forensic laboratory in Malaysia and the
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
Asia Pacific Region that is accredited by the
American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors
Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB)
for digital and multimedia evidence discipline
based on ISO/IEC 17025:2005. Analysis by this
Lab is recognised as expert witness in digital
forensics under the Criminal Procedure Code.
CyberSecurity Malaysia also provides
technical services in evaluating ICT products and
systems at its test lab. This is under the Malaysian
Common Criteria Evaluation & Certification Scheme
(MyCC) which evaluates and certifies the security
functions of ICT products. Dr Amirudin says this
testing is ideal for ICT devices purchased or
imported from abroad. The process for evaluating
products complies with ISO/IEC 15408 (Common
Criteria) and ISO/IEC 18045 (Common Evaluation
Methodology).
To promote trustworthy e-business, the
Government appointed CyberSecurity Malaysia
to be the certifier of the Malaysia Trustmark for
the private sector in 2012. Organisations that
satisfy the assessment criteria will be awarded the
Malaysia Trustmark certificate or seal, which will
enhance the companys reputation in e-business.
Dr Amirudin reveals that so far 10 companies have
obtained the Malaysia Trustmark for Private Sector
Certification which was launched in July 2013.
Malaysia Trustmark has been a member of the
World Trustmark Alliance (WTA) since 2011 and
Incidents reported
to Cyber999
13
Dr Amirudin was appointed as Chairman of WTA in
February, 2014.
Just as cyber security technologies advance
with time, cyber crime innovation and techniques
have also become more sophisticated. Dr
Amirudin emphasizes that one cannot rely totally
on technology and tools. We need a holistic
approach. We need to look at the processes
and also the people. As you know, the weakest
link is actually human..greed, he explains. To
illustrate, he notes that a recent case early this
year found that a victim befriended a syndicate
member through Facebook and was duped of more
than a million ringgit for a parcel worth RM4 million
which had purportedly arrived at the Customs.
Internet users must always be on alert for such
scams. It is reassuring to know there is an agency
like CyberSecurity Malaysia which anyone can
contact when in need of clarification and solutions
when faced with cyber threats. Inforeach
Cyber CSI in progress in the Digital Forensic Lab
Cyber999 service centre receives calls on cyber
threats

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2012/05/03/Nayati-found-safe-
back-with-family.aspx#.T6HmWpSANAo.facebook
Nayati found safe, back with family
3 May 2012
The Star

3. Sofea Hana Godam Laman Web Kerajaan

Analisis terhadap laman web yang telah digodam dan profile terhadap suspek.

Ulasan:

Menjejak suspek yang menggodam laman web penting kerajaan secara
analisis teknikal dan mengesan melalui kaedah social engineering. Suspek
atau kenalan kepada 'Sofea Hana' telah dikenalpasti dan informasi telah
diserahkan kepada PDRM. PDRM sahkan bahawa pihak mereka telah
jalankan siasatan fizikal dan kemudian telah menahan beberapa individu di
sebuah hotel untuk membantu siasatan kes ini dimana dipercayai mereka
sedang berbincang untuk tindakan penggodaman seterusnya.

http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/PenggodamJabatanPenerangandidedah/Artic
le
20 Feb 2013
Harian Metro

Solving Cyber Crimes
(media reports)
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
This National Cyber Security Policy (NSCP)
has been designed to facilitate Malaysias
move towards a knowledge-based economy
(K-economy). The Policy was formulated based
on a National Cyber Security Framework that
comprises legislation and regulatory, technology,
public-private co-operation, institutional, and
international aspects.
The National Cyber Security Policy was
approved by the Government of Malaysia for
implementation in 2006. The objective of NCSP
is to accumulate national effort in securing the
Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII)
of the country.
The Critical National Information
Infrastructure comprises the networked
information systems of ten critical sectors,
namely:
1. National Defence and Security
2. Banking and Finance
3. Information and Communications
4. Energy
5. Transportation
6. Water
7. Health Services
8. Government
9. Emergency services
10. Food and Agriculture
The Policy recognizes the critical and
highly interdependent nature of the CNII and
aims to develop and establish a comprehensive
programme and a series of frameworks that
will ensure the effectiveness of cyber security
controls over vital assets. It has been developed
to ensure that the CNII are protected to a level
that commensurate the risks faced.

THE EIGHT POLICY THRUSTS
THRUST 1: Effective Governance
Centralise co-ordination of national cyber
security initiatives
Promote effective co-operation between
public and private sectors
Establish formal and encourage informal
information sharing exchanges.
Thrust Driver: National Security Council

THRUST 2: Legislative & Regulatory Framework
Review and enhance Malaysias cyber laws
to address the dynamic nature of cyber
security threats
Establish progressive capacity building
programmes for national law enforcement
agencies
Ensure that all applicable local legislation
is complementary to and in harmony with
international laws, treaties and conventions.
Thrust Driver: Attorney Generals Chambers

THRUST 3: Cyber Security Technology
Framework
Develop a national cyber security technology
framework that specifies cyber security
requirement controls and baselines for CNII
elements
Implement an evaluation/certification
programme for cyber security product and
systems
Thrust Driver: CyberSecurity Malaysia

THRUST 4: Culture of security and Capacity
Building
Develop, foster and maintain a national
culture of security
Standardise and co-ordinate cyber security
awareness and education programmes
across all elements of the CNII
Establish an effective mechanism for cyber
security knowledge dissemination at the
national level
Identify minimum requirements and
qualifications for information security
professionals
National Cyber Security Policy
Source: www. nitc.mosti.gov.my, www.cybersecurity.my
15
Thrust Driver: Ministry of Science, Technology &
Innovation

THRUST 5: Research & Development towards
Self-Reliance
Formalise the co-ordination and
prioritization of cyber security research
and development activities.
Enlarge and strengthen the cyber security
research community
Promote the development and
commercialization of intellectual
properties, technologies and innovations
through focused research and development
Nurture the growth of cyber security
industry
Thrust Driver: MIMOS Berhad

THRUST 6: Compliance and Enforcement
Standardise cyber security systems across
all elements of the CNII
Strengthen the monitoring and enforcement
of standards
Develop a standard cyber security risk
assessment framework
Thrust Driver: Ministry of Information
Communications and Culture

THRUST 7: Cyber Security Emergency
Readiness
Strengthen the national computer
emergency response teams (CERTs)
Develop effective cyber security incident
reporting mechanisms
Encourage all elements of the CNII to
monitor cyber security events
Develop a standard business continuity
management framework
Disseminate vulnerability advisories and
threat warnings in a timely manner
Encourage all elements of the CNII to
perform periodic vulnerability assessment
programmes
Thrust Driver: National Security Council

THRUST 8: International Co-operation
Encourage active participation in all
relevant international cyber security
bodies, panels and multinational agencies
Promote active participation in all relevant
international cyber security by hosting
an annual international cyber security
conference
Thrust Driver: Ministry of Information
Communications and Culture
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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T
enga Nasional Bhd (TNB), with assets worth
RM99 billion, is one of the most prominent
electric utility companies in South East Asia.
TNB serves about 8.4million customers across
Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Labuan and
employs more than 33,500 people.
TNBs core businesses are generation,
transmission and distribution of electricity. TNB also
manages a national electricity grid that connects
all power stations and main intake sub-stations
in peninsular Malaysia and also international grid
connections to Thailand and Singapore.
Enhanced Enterprise Asset Management with
Mobility
TNB is pursuing PAS 55 certification, an
internationally accredited certification of best
practice for physical asset management. PAS 55
certification provides a systematic and structured
approach for optimal asset management
including performance, risk and expenditure over
the asset management life cycle. Enterprise
Asset Management systems (EAM) are used by
C
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TENAGA NASIONAL BERHAD
ICT FOR OPERATIONAL
EXCELLENCE
- PAST ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE PLANNING
By Anthonysamy Rajamanickam,
Christine Yong Wei Ling, M Pavala Malar Kannan,
Tun Abdul Karim Tun Abu Bakar
ICT Division, Tenaga Nasional Berhad
In todays business environment, use of technology and ICT is without doubt pre-requisites to ensure
operational efficiency, sustainable business operations and improved customer service. With the
convergence of ICT, where communications and IT are used together, it is now possible for companies
to operate and provide services from anywhere and at any time. The authors give some examples of
how TNB has used technology and ICT in the past, and intends to do so in the future in the areas of
asset management, grid operations and customer service.
companies with large assets to obtain PAS 55
certification.
With advanced mobile technology and IT, the
EAM work flow process can be enhanced by adding
mobility to improve work order management as
shown in Figure 1. Subsequently, an in-house
EAM system with mobility was developed and
implemented in August 2011 for transmission
asset management to replace traditional manual
processes. The new system, called Transmission
Operation and Maintenance Analyzing System
(TOMAS), as shown in Figure 2, is used to optimize
asset productivity and minimize total cost of
ownership through conditioning, monitoring,
analytics, automated work and resource planning
and scheduling.
The system relies on the availability of a reliable
communications network and IT systems for data
capture, business process automation, analysis
and reporting. TOMAS automatically assigns
maintenance teams for scheduled maintenance
work through work orders on a mobile device.
Through the mobile device, maintenance teams are
17
able to access asset information and update work
and maintenance data with the backend Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) system. The system thus
provides online information to management and
central operations teams on the condition of the
asset, performance and maintenance status. Such
information is important when fast decisions are
required during an emergency. With TOMAS, time
based or corrective maintenance regime shifts to
condition and predictive based maintenance mode.
Two other EAM projects, namely Mobility
for Substation Maintenance and Linear Assets
Management (LAM), were recently kicked-off by
the TNB Distribution Division in November 2013
and January 2014 respectively. These off-the-
shelf solutions focus on distribution transformers,
switchgears, medium and low voltage overhead
line, underground cable and street lighting asset.
Enhanced Customer Service and Operations
through Mobile Field Force Automation
Mobile Field Force Automation (MFFA) was
implemented in TNBs Distribution Division to
enhance outage management, reduce supply
interruptions and improve customer service. With
the implementation of MFFA, the following were
achieved:
Communications between various teams
involved in outage management were
streamlined and simplified.
Figure 1: Mobility for EAM Streamlining Work Order Management Process
Accurate and timely information was
provided to the Call Management Centre
(CMC) team for improved communications
to customers.
Work processes were consolidated and
streamlined to improve overall efficiency
and effectiveness.
This project was first implemented in Shah
Alam in 2007 and successfully rolled-out to other
Figure 2 TOMAS Overview
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
sites by August 2013. The system relies on
communications and IT to automate processes,
improve communications and provide accurate
data with the goal of reducing supply interruption
and enhancing customer service.
An illustrative diagram of TNBs MFFA system
as given in Figure 3 shows the work flow from
when a customer makes a report to CMC of supply
interruption to the time the customer is notified of
supply normalisation.
Large Power Customer Service Enhancement
through Remote Meter Reading System
Traditionally, energy meters at consumer premises
have been manually read by TNB employees on a
monthly basis. As a manual process, meter reads
were subject to errors and inconsistent meter
read cycles. For large power consumers (LPCs),
who contribute about 70% of TNBs revenue, it
was decided that investing in advanced meter
technology and ICT would produce significant
Figure 3: MFFA Illustration
benefits to both customers and TNB. Subsequently,
TNB embarked on a Remote Meter Reading (RMR)
project involving 60,000 LPCs in 2005. Customers
have benefitted from the project by getting accurate
and timely bills and access to information on their
energy consumption (load profile). Benefits to TNB
include efficient meter reading and billing process,
ability to monitor and analyse energy utilisation
and detect meter tampering and/or non-technical
losses (electricity theft).
The RMR system as shown graphically in
Figure 4, includes the meters, GPRS modems,
GPRS network, communications servers, Meter
Data Management System (MDMS) and Customer
Information and Billing System (eCIBS). Meters are
remotely read on a daily basis from communication
servers located at TNBs data centre using GPRS
modems through Celcoms GPRS network. Data
acquired from the meters is fed into the MDMS
and billing and customer information systems for
processing and other applications.
19
Through the use of ICT, significant
improvements are being realized in operational
efficiency and accurate meter billing. A significant
benefit obtained from this project is the ability to
reduce non-technical losses by analyzing meter
data captured on a daily basis from the LPC
meters. Customer service is greatly improved with
accurate bills consistently delivered on time and
information on energy consumption such a load
profiles available on-line.
Customer Service Enhancement through
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Electric power utilities in Europe, U.S. and Australia
have aggressively embarked on implementing
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) or smart
meters to meet Government and/or regulatory
requirements in line with policies for competitive
retail markets, time-of-use tariffs, integration of
renewable energy, demand side management, etc.
Figure 4: System Overview of the TNB RMR Project
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) consists
of smart meters, a communications network and
backend IT systems that continuously measures
and collects electricity usage through two-way
communications to provide various services to
customers that allows them to manage their
energy consumption.
TNB is currently implementing an AMI/smart
meter demonstration project for 1,000 ordinary
power consumers (OPC) in Melaka and Putrajaya/
Cyberjaya. The system overview of the project is
shown graphically in Figure 5. This project, which
will be carried out in four stages and is expected
to be completed by January 2016. The service
that will be delivered for the stages are listed
below:
Stage 1: Automatic billing.
Stage 2: Load profile web portal.
Stage 3: Outage notification and load
management plug.
Figure 5: System Overview of TNB AMI/Smart Meter Project
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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Stage 4: Billing tamper detection, supply
automation, smart billing (pre/
post-paid) and Time of Use (TOU)
The AMI project will be beneficial to the
consumers as well as TNB. As for the RMR system,
remote meter reading capability will mitigate
consumer premise inaccessibility, estimated
bill issues and billing errors. Customers will be
able to monitor their electricity usage using an in-
home display or web portal, thereby providing them
with the ability to improve their electricity usage
pattern and reduce energy costs. Other benefits
like outage notification, post/prepaid options and
demand side management will also be available.
Future Grid Operations through Smart Grid
Smart grid is an electricity grid modernisation
programme that relies on communications and
IT for monitoring control and management of
generation, transmission, distribution, storage
and consumption of energy, and enables customer
participation. Smart grids aim to achieve:
Higher grid reliability,
Increased energy efficiency,
Improved operational efficiency,
Reduced CO
2
emissions, and
Increased customer participation.
TNB is currently formulating a seven-year
roadmap to implement smart grid projects that will
cover the following main areas:
AMI/Smart Meters,
Distribution Automation/Distribution
Management System,
Demand Response,
Self-healing rings/Wide area intelligent
systems,
Distributed energy resources, and
Advanced Condition Based Maintenance
(TNB Research Sdn Bhd, 2014, pp. 3-72).
Cyber Security
The pervasive use of ICT, especially IP network
connections for implementing smart grid/smart
meters project increase cyber security risks.
Cyber security risks include intrusion, malware,
denial-of-service attack, insider threat, hackers,
data leakage etc. Cyber security risk needs to
be addressed during system design stage and
continuously monitored to minimise business
continuity interruption or disaster.
TNBs preparedness to mitigate cyber security
threats or attacks is summarised as follows:
All cyber security controls to be in-line
with the Confidentiality, Integrity and
Availability fundamentals.
Being certified with ISO/IEC 27001:2005
Information Security Management
System (ISMS) for its critical power
system infrastructure.
Establishing cyber security policy,
governance processes, skilled resources,
Cyber Security Incident Response
Teams (CSIRT), business continuity
management, technology such as firewall,
Intrusion Detection/Prevention System,
Anti-malware/spam/web-defacement,
Data Leakage Protection, etc.
Participating in annual National Cyber
Crisis Exercise to ensure timely response
and proper handling of cyber security
incidents.
Conclusion
ICT plays a key role in enabling business to
achieve operational excellence in electric power
utilities as shown through examples of systems
used for asset management, customer service
and operations in TNB. Automation and systems
based processes are replacing manual processes
to increase operational efficiency, enhance asset
management, improve supply reliability and provide
better customer service. ICT will be increasingly
used in the future to support new initiatives
such as smart grid/smart meter implementation.
Cyber security risks require greater attention and
comprehensive treatment in the future with the
implementation of these new initiatives.
REFERENCES
Smartgrid.gov.2014. What is the Smart
Grid?|SmartGrid.gov. [online] Available at:
https://www.smartgrid.gov/the_smart_grid.
TNB Research Sdn Bhd. 2014. TNB Research:
Smart Grid Maturity Model Report. 1.1. [report]
Kuala Lumpur: TNBR, pp. 3-72.
21
T
he application of Inform-
ation and Communications
Technologies (ICT) in
transport has had a huge impact
on various aspects of transport
and traffic planning, monitoring,
management and control. The
term Intelligent Transport System
(ITS) specifically represents
the application of ICT in vehicle
and transport networks, and
marks the significance of ICT in
shaping the transport system of
the future.
The demands on any
transport system in a city
continue to grow in parallel
with the growth in the economy
and population. This growth,
coupled with an infrastructure
that cannot cope with demand,
creates negative externalities
such as congestion, pollution
and accidents. Simply providing
new infrastructure will not solve
all these problems. Innovations
in ITS would enable an entire
transportation system to work
as effectively and efficiently
as possible and help make
the transport system more
sustainable.
Journey Time Indication System
One major area of ICT
application in transport is for
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Application of ICT in
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By Mohamed Rehan Karim, Ahmad Saifizul Abdullah
Centre for Transportation Research, University of Malaya
Megat Qamarul Zaffi
Integrated Transportation Solutions Sdn Bhd.
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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traffic monitoring, management
and control. The Journey Time
Indication System (JTIS) in Hong
Kong (JTISHK) and Kowloon
(JTISK) is a prime example
(Figure 1). The JTIS functions to
disseminate real-time journey
information to motorists via LED
displays, an interactive voice
response system and an Internet
speed map so that motorists
are able to choose alternative
routes to cross the harbour
from Kowloon Peninsula to Hong
Kong Island and vice versa to
avoid traffic congestion. The JTIS
assists motorists to make an
informed route choice to cross
the harbour before arriving at the
critical diversion points.
Speed Map Panels
In 2013, five Speed Map Panels
(SMPs) were installed in the
Hong Kong New Territories that
provide a schematic map of road
traffic speed on major routes
bound for Kowloon (Figure 2).
The SMPs are located in advance
of traffic divergent points where
alternative routes are available.
The estimated journey time
through the available routes is
also provided.
While providing motorists
with real-time information to
make an informed route choice,
the JTIS and SMPs allow for a
better distribution of traffic on
roads, alleviate congestion and
reduce the travel time of road
users. This has the direct effect
of reducing fuel consumption
and pollutant emissions.
Open Road Tolling
In collecting the necessary
data on road traffic speed and
journey time, a hybrid detection
Figure 1: The Journey Time Indicator System LED time indicator in
Hong Kong displays the average journey time, in minutes, to cross
the harbour for each of the available routes. The digits are shown in
three different colours for different traffic conditions: red represents
congested traffic, amber represents slow traffic and green represents
smooth traffic. (Source: Hong Kong Transport Department Official
Website, http://www.td.gov.hk/)
Figure 2: The Speed Map Panels in Hong Kong displays the
schematic map of major routes ahead as well as the estimated
journey time. The displays are colour-coded with green, amber and
red to represent different traffic conditions: red represents congested
traffic, amber represents slow traffic and green represents smooth
traffic. (Source: Hong Kong Transport Department Official Website,
http://www.td.gov.hk/)
23
Figure 3: Radio Frequency Identification tag readers are fitted on
gantries over the roadway that enables Open Road Tolling on an
expressway in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Camera systems are also
commonly employed for surveillance and enforcement. (Source:
Miami-Dade Expressway Authority Official Website, http://www.
mdxort.com/)
methodology of video image
processing (VIP) through video
detector and automatic vehicle
identification (AVI) tag reader
by radio frequency identification
(RFID) was employed. RFID is
commonly used for Electronic
Toll Collection (ETC) system
whereby vehicles are fitted
with transponders that are
electronically debited when
passing through tag readers
on a tolled road. Owing to its
high speed detection rate, RFID
enables Open Road Tolling (ORT)
environment or Multi-Lane Free
Flow (MLFF) where the tag readers
are fitted on gantries over the
roadways, thus eliminating the
need of toll booths and enabling
toll payment while vehicles pass
through near highway speed
(Figure 3). This eliminates the
safety risk of vehicles weaving to
get to their desired lanes at toll
plazas.
Tokyo Traffic Control Centre
Rather than for toll collection,
the RFID technology used for the
AVI in Hong Kong captures the
vehicle identification information
and time stamps of vehicles
passing subsequent tag readers
to compute the average speed
and journey time. The detection
method employed is just one
example of a myriad of ways
traffic data is collected through
the application of ICT and the
importance of reliable real-time
data in traffic management
must not be understated. The
Tokyo Traffic Control Centre, for
example, compiles information
from cameras, helicopters,
police, citizen reports and over
17,000 vehicle detectors to
monitor real-time traffic condition
Figure 4: The Tokyo Traffic Control Centre ensures smooth traffic
operations throughout Tokyo Metropolis around the clock. The centre
also has the capability to handle unusual situations such as big
events and disasters. (Source: http://www.shifteast.com/inside-the-
tokyo-traffic-control-center/
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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throughout the city. The centre
can directly manage more than
7,000 traffic signal controllers
to ensure smooth traffic flow
(Figure 4). Information on traffic
conditions are then relayed to
road users via variable message
signs and live traffic report
broadcast.
Floating Car Data
In recent years, Google and
Waze Mobile tapped into the
opportunity offered with the
growing use of smart-phones:
the floating car data (FCD).
The Google Maps and Waze
GPS applications essentially
transform every vehicle with an
active smart-phone into sensors
that continuously transmit their
data about their position in
order to generate crowd-sourced
traffic information. This results
in highly accurate real-time
display of traffic conditions and
navigational guides directly to
users, enabling them to make an
informed choice on their routes
on the go (Figure 5). Google and
Waze will likely achieve a higher
degree of accuracy with the ever
growing smart-phone market.
ICT also plays an essential
role in improving the service
quality of public transportation.
Unlike private cars which offer
the convenience of door-to-door
travel, public transport users
usually need to go through
several modes of transport
between their origin and
destination. Public transport
users rely heavily on information
on the public transport service
such as routes, scheduling,
stops, transfers, ticket fares
so as to properly plan their
journey. Having this information
accurately creates a pull factor
that attracts people to use
public transport rather than their
personal cars or motorcycles.
Shifting people away from use
of private vehicles to other more
sustainable modes of transport
such as public transport is
considered one of the three key
strategies of Avoid, Shift and
Improve to reach the goal of
sustainable transport.
Google Maps
Web and smart-phone
applications for travel directions
such as Google Maps are
great tools to get step-by-step
instructions that guide users
to their destinations (Figure
6). It also offers comparison
of different travel options such
as different routes, number of
transfers, estimated journey
time, travel by all available
public transport modes or travel
by bus only. Locally developed
navigation applications such
as gothere.sg for Singapore
provides more detailed
information such as travel fares,
time-sensitive directions for bus
and train service, detailed bus
info and arrival times (Figure 7).
Taiwan Taxi
The cloud-based Taiwan Taxi
service, an upgrade from their
Figure 5: Smart-phone
applications such as Google
Maps and Waze offers crowd-
sourcing of Floating Car Data
to provide real-time traffic
conditions to road users.
(Source: Google Maps and Waze
Official Website)
25
previous web-based system, is
another example application of
ICT to improve public transport.
Before the introduction of
the Taiwan Taxi smart-phone
application, users called for a
taxi by direct call to call centres
or through the Taiwan Taxi
webpage. The Taiwan Taxi smart-
phone application offers users a
more simplified way of booking
a taxi. The system can directly
locate the users location through
GPS, hence the user simply
needs to specify the pickup time
and wait for the response (Figure
8). The app also provides an
innovative solution to things that
had seem difficult to achieve
before: a customer satisfaction
survey is done through a simple
rating system and an emergency
call button is also included to
ensure safety and security of
passengers.
Web and smart-phone
applications are examples of a
form of Travel Information Service
(TIS) which disseminates public
transport information to the
public. However, these front-end
services for the users are only
made possible with the back-
end system that tracks real-
time transit vehicle locations,
estimate the on-time status
and control the overall public
transport operations during
normal and also emergency
conditions. The adoption of
advanced technology in the
provision of public transport
service is termed Advance Public
Transport System (APTS).
With continuous technolog-
ical advancements and innova-
tive solutions, ICT applications
in transport will continue to grow
as a major industry to provide an
efficient and safe transportation
system of the future.
Figure 8: Taiwan Taxi smart-
phone application for taxi
booking service. (Source: Chang,
S. K. J. (2013). Cloud Taxi: An
Innovative Service in Public
Transport. Presented at the Eco
Mobility 2013 in Suwon, Korea.
03.09.13)
Figure 6: Google Maps public transport navigation service provides
step-by-step instructions that guide users to their destinations.
(Source: Google Maps Official Website)
Figure 7: Locally developed gothere.sg web and smart-phone
applications provide more detailed information on travel options in
Singapore than Google Maps. (Source: gothere.sg Official Website,
http://gothere.sg/maps)
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T
he implementation of
information technology
(IT) in various sectors has
proved to be successful and has
created significant advantages
such as adding value, increasing
competitiveness and increasing
cost-effectiveness over the long
run. While the construction
industry acknowledged
the importance of IT and
embraced IT at various levels
of the construction chain, the
application of IT is making rather
slow progress in only a few
scattered examples. Malaysian
professionals have long relied
on the computer aided design,
engineering design software
and many other computer
programmes to assist them in
their work routine. Internet and
internet-based tools have been
used for tendering services,
awarding contracts, project
monitoring and purchasing
products and act as a major
catalyst for the implementation
of IT in construction sector [1].
Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) is another form of IT tool
which is gaining a place in the
construction industry worldwide
and has begun to make a
presence in Malaysian scene.
Radio Frequency Identification
In general, RFID is a form
of data transferring, object
identification and tracking
using wireless or non-contact
approach. The system typically
consists of a tag, which stores
information electronically on an
object, and a reader, which is
able to read all the information
transmitted through radio-
frequency electromagnetic
fields. The concept of RFID
was originally introduced in
the 1920s and has been
used in many diversified fields
ever since. In Malaysia, many
industries have started to
implement RFID systems and
solutions or are actively involved
in research and development of
RFID equipment and software to
increase functionality and at the
same time trying to reduce the
cost of implementation which is
deemed far too expensive for
commercial use [2].
RFID in Construction
All over the world, researchers
have come out with different
and notable concepts of
implementing RFID in the
Application of RFID and IT in
Monitoring Quality
of Concrete
By Ir. Dr Zuhairi Abd Hamid, Ahmad Hazim Abdul Rahim,
Muhammed Asraff Abdul Rahman,
Construction Research Institute of Malaysia
&
Ir. Mohd Noor Azudin Mansor, Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia
The application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in
the laboratory testing of concrete cubes started in 2010. It
is currently being practiced in Makmal Kerja Raya Malaysia
and there is potential for application by other laboratories.
27
construction process. Jaselskis
and Anderson [3] applied RFID
technology to improve tracking
and managing concrete material
inspections and test data whereby
they attached RFID tags on the
surface of concrete test cylinders
after casting. S.Y.L. Yin et al. [4]
developed the precast concrete
production management system
that fully utilises RFID including
inspection of incoming materials,
production process inspection,
moulds inspection, specimen
strength feedback, and logistics
and receiving management. A
similar concept was presented by
E. Ergen et al. [5] by introducing
RFID and Global Positioning
System (GPS) to monitor and
track precast components in
storage yards. The concept of
monitoring the quality concrete
when tested in the laboratory
was adopted by MKRM and
has been introduced and widely
implemented in other developing
countries such as Taiwan and
Singapore [6][7].
E-Bina
The concept of E-Bina was first
mooted by Jabatan Kerja Raya
(JKR) in 2007. This is to develop
an integrated system whereby all
important elements or processes
of construction projects are
captured and monitored online
and virtually. It covers almost
all processes from earthworks
to the erection of the structure
itself. This involves online
monitoring of the construction
works and digitally captures all
important construction details
and relevant test data.
Monitoring the Quality
Concrete Cube Test
Construction Research Institute
of Malaysia (CREAM) and its
testing laboratory, Makmal
Kerja Raya Malaysia (MKRM) is
supporting JKR in their E-Bina
programme by equipping itself
with all the required equipment
to conduct laboratory testing
of concrete cubes with RFID
facilities embedded. All the
concrete compression machines
and other equipment are
equipped with an RFID reader
thus minimising the manual
data capturing and recording.
CREAM is closely working with
JKR and MIMOS to develop
the automated concrete cube
monitoring system which is part
of JKRs E-Bina. The system was
first developed in 2010 during
Figure 1
National Palace
at Jalan Duta,
Kuala Lumpur
Figure 2 National Palace new entrance flyover
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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the construction of the new
National Palace in Jalan Duta
which was chosen as the pilot
project, as shown in Figure 1. This
system was later implemented
in a second project, namely the
National Palace Entrance and
Flyover (Figure 2) and is currently
being used in Hospital Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM)
Multi-storey Car Park project
(Figure 3).
The conventional method
of concrete cube testing is not
only time consuming but also
requires many documents which
are prone to data manipulation
and tampering. The concept
introduced by CREAM minimizes
as much as possible human
input especially in data capturing
and replacing them with an
automated system. This not
only increases data security but
also reduces the overall time of
testing. Clients or consultants
can view the laboratory results
instantly on-line and anywhere.
Figure 4 illustrates the concept
of using RFID technology and
IT in monitoring the quality of
concrete cubes.
Process Involved
Three main parties involved in
the whole process are the client
or consultant, the contractor
and the testing laboratory which
is currently only available in
MKRM. Each party is provided
with a login ID and password to
access CREAMs RFID website.
These only allow access to
the registered project by the
respective client or consultant.
MKRM provides RFID tags
and readers to the contractors
as shown in Figure 5. RFID tags
are protected by a plastic coating
to enhance durability and to
ensure that the tags can be used
multiple times. The equipment is
crucial for the contractor and will
enable the user to register all
the cube data and enter it into
CREAMs website over the entire
project.
The RFID tags are supplied
to the contractor upon online
request from the designated
person in charge, normally the
QC Engineer. The tags issued
are specifically identified for the
respective project and cannot
be used for other projects even
though contractor might be the
same.
During concrete cube
preparation, each cube is
uniquely identified by an RFID tag
and all necessary cube details
such as, project name, concrete
structure and location, type of
material used, sources, concrete
grade and any other relevant data
are entered into the system. All
the data is stored in the server
and this enables the user to
retrieve and modify the data
before the official submission is
made online. It will also enable
data traceability both before and
after testing.
The RFID tag is embedded
onto the fresh concrete once it
is poured into the cube mould as
shown in Figure 6. It sticks on
the surface of the cube once the
concrete is hardened and the
sample is ready for curing.
Online Application for Testing
Services
Online application for testing
services is one of the key
processes involved and the QC
engineers need to ensure that all
necessary information is keyed
in and is correct. This system
allows multiple applications for
testing for different days of cube
testing, such as 7, 14, 28 and
56 days in one application. The
user will be given notification
and alert three days before the
scheduled test date.
The overall process for the
contractor to follow is shown in
Figure 7.
Figure 3 Concreting works of
HUKM Multi-storey Car Park
Building project
29
Figure 4 RFID Technology for Monitoring the Quality Concrete Cube Test
Construction site, batching plant
INTERNET
Testing Laboratory
Engineers, Consultant
RFID Reader
Laptop with internet
access
RFID tags

Figure 5 Equipment required at the site

During concrete cube preparation, each cube is uniquely identified by an RFID tag and all
necessary cube details such as, project name, concrete structure and location, type of material
used, sources, concrete grade and any other relevant data are entered into the system. All the
data is stored in the server and this enables the user to retrieve and modify the data before the
official submission is made online. It will also enable data traceability both before and after
testing.
The RFID tag is embedded onto the fresh concrete once it is poured into the cube mould as
shown in Figure 6. It sticks on the surface of the cube once the concrete is hardened and the
sample is ready for curing.

Figure 5 Equipment required at the site
Figure 6 RFID tags
embedded onto wet
concrete cubes
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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ID
Registration
RFID Tag
Request
Cube
Preparation
Application
of Testing
Via online
RFID tags will
be provided
Embed tag
onto wet cubes
Data entry
cube details
Online
application
Deliver cubes
to MKRM/lab
Project details
Login ID &
Password will
be given
RFID Reader
will be provided
RFID tags
RFID
Reader

Figure 7 Process Involved in the Contractor Side

Concrete Cube Compression Test
After the cubes have cured they are delivered to MKRM for testing. Each cube is scanned
and verified by the system to ensure that only the correct scheduled cubes are being tested.
All data measurements are electronically captured and input into the system instantly as all
electronic equipment in MKRM have the necessary tools installed. This measure safeguards
the security of data and measurement taken and minimises human interaction with the data
hence reducing the risk of data tampering.
Result verification
Upon the completion of testing, the systems software generates test results automatically.
However it requires the Test Engineer to review all the test results and submit them to the
authorised person usually the Technical Manager for verification before test results can be
issued to all relevant parties. This merely takes a few minute upon the completion of testing.
Figure 8 shows the process in the laboratory.
Receiving
cube
Test
Result
verification
Verify all cubes
Every tested
cube will be
uploaded
automatically
into server
Test data
verified &
approved
Ready for
viewing
Figure 8 Process involved in the testing lab

The client or consultant and contractor are able to view the results instantly and virtually
anywhere. The prompt process of retrieving the concrete test results at site is crucial to
project management for the client to make vital and quick decisions at the site.

The Way Forward
In total more than 7,000 cubes have been tested by MKRM using the RFID application. It is
has successfully minimised the overall time involved and the most importantly it guarantees
data security and minimises data tampering that is crucial to any construction project to
ensure not only the quality of the finished product but the integrity of the professional team
involved. CREAM is working closely with JKR to further enhance the system and make it
available to other laboratories. This step will enables wider application of the system which
currently is limited only to the Klang Valley. With the right tools and a small investment, the
applications can be implemented all over Malaysia.

Acknowledgement
The authors would like to express their gratitude to all respective parties who contributed
their time and effort in developing the system and ensuring the success of the implementation
process at various construction projects namely, Cawangan Kejuruteraan Struktur dan
Jambatan, Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia, CIDB Malaysia, En Mohamed Rawidean Mohd
Figure 8 Process involved in the testing lab
Figure 7 Process Involved in the Contractor Side
31
Concrete Cube Compression
Test
After the cubes have cured
they are delivered to MKRM for
testing. Each cube is scanned
and verified by the system to
ensure that only the correct
scheduled cubes are being
tested. All data measurements
are electronically captured and
input into the system instantly
as all electronic equipment
in MKRM have the necessary
tools installed. This measure
safeguards the security of data
and measurement taken and
minimises human interaction
with the data hence reducing the
risk of data tampering.
Result verification
Upon the completion of testing,
the systems software generates
test results automatically.
However it requires the Test
Engineer to review all the test
results and submit them to
the authorised person usually
the Technical Manager for
verification before test results
can be issued to all relevant
parties. This merely takes a few
minute upon the completion
of testing. Figure 8 shows the
process in the laboratory.
The client or consultant
and contractor are able to view
the results instantly and virtually
anywhere. The prompt process
of retrieving the concrete test
results at site is crucial to project
management for the client to
make vital and quick decisions
at the site.
The Way Forward
In total more than 7,000 cubes
have been tested by MKRM
using the RFID application. It is
has successfully minimised the
overall time involved and the
most importantly it guarantees
data security and minimises
data tampering that is crucial
to any construction project to
ensure not only the quality of the
finished product but the integrity
of the professional team involved.
CREAM is working closely with
JKR to further enhance the
system and make it available
to other laboratories. This step
will enables wider application
of the system which currently is
limited only to the Klang Valley.
With the right tools and a small
investment, the applications
can be implemented all over
Malaysia.
Tserng, J.C. Wang, S.C.
Tsai, Developing a precast
production management
system using RFID
technology, Automation in
Construction 18 (2009),
Pages 677691
[5] Esin Ergen, Burcu Akinc,
Rafael Sacks, Tracking and
locating components in a
precast storage yard utilizing
radio frequency identification
technology and GPS,
Automation in Construction
16 (2007), Pages 354367
[6] Lung-Chuang Wang,
Enhancing construction
quality inspection and
management using RFID
technology, Automation in
Construction 17 (2008),
Pages 467479
[7] Anonymous, Tracking
Concrete Cubes for QA,
RFID Journal Article, August
18, 2002, (http://www.
rfidjournal.com/articles/
view?194)
[1] Mastura Jaafar, Abdul
Rashid Abdul Aziza, T.
Ramayah, Basri Saada,
Integrating information
technology in the
construction industry:
Technology readiness
assessment of Malaysian
contractors, International
Journal of Project
Management, Volume 25,
Issue 2, February 2007,
Pages 115120
[2] Mohd Zahari Zakaria, The
Malaysian RFID scenario,
MyConvergence, Malaysian
Communication and
Multimedia Industry, July
2008, Pages 35-37
[3] E.J. Jaselskis, M.R.
Anderson, Radio-frequency
identification applications
in construction industry,
Journal of Construction
Engineering and
Management 121 (2)
(1995), Pages 189196.
[4] Samuel Y.L. Yin, H. Ping
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to
express their gratitude to
all respective parties who
contributed their time and
effort in developing the system
and ensuring the success of
the implementation process
at various construction
projects namely, Cawangan
Kejuruteraan Struktur dan
Jambatan, Jabatan Kerja Raya
Malaysia, CIDB Malaysia, En
Mohamed Rawidean Mohd
Kassim of MIMOS, Projek
Istana Negara Jalan Duta
team and Projek Tempat Letak
Kereta Bertingkat HUKM team.
REFERENCES
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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O
ne of the global issues faced by the world today concerns road
safety. A total of 1.24 million people were killed on the worlds
roads in year 2010, while road crash related injuries take an
enormous toll on individuals and communities as well as on national
economies (WHO, 2013). Road traffic injuries are the eighth leading
cause of death globally, and the leading cause of death for young
people aged 15-29 years old. As the issue emerges, researchers
and road safety professionals are looking at various aspects that
could help to address and solve this issue. Often, the areas of road
user behavioural change, vehicle safety and road engineering are
commonly looked into when addressing this issue.
However, as this issue is becoming more prominent, more
countries have started to adopt the application of ICT to manage
their transportation system and their approach to improved
safety. Application of ICT in transportation is often referred to as
the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). ITS provides services
using modern computing and communications technologies. The
application of ITS mainly focuses on four main objectives, which are
reduction in the level of congestion, improved road safety, increased
mobility and energy efficiency (ITS Asia-Pacific, 2013). Based on these
objectives, development of ICT products and their application has
grown significantly with the introduction of various new technologies.

ITS USAGE
In Malaysia, ITS usage is still fairly limited, especially for the
purpose of road safety. ITS was first introduced in Malaysia in mid-
Application of ICT in Road
and Transportation Safety
By Hizal Hanis Hashim, Ir. Mohd Rasid Osman
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research
Application of ICT in transportation under the Intelligent Transportation
System focuses on reduction in the level of congestion, improved road
safety, increased mobility and energy efficiency. In the area of crash
data analysis, the MIROS Road Accident Analysis and Database System
encompasses on-site data entry and desktop data analysis. An App has
been developed for convenient data entry and data collection using tablets
or smart-phones commonly available in the market.
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nineties (ITS Malaysia, 2009).
Deployments of ITS applications
in Malaysia include, Electronic
Tolling Collection (ETC), Traffic
Management Centre (TMC),
Variable Messaging Sign (VMS)
and Integrated Transport
Terminal (ITT). Introduction
of ETC aims to reduce traffic
congestion at toll booths by
utilizing an electronic payment
system. On the other hand,
TMCs such as at Malaysian
Highway Authority is useful for
optimal control of traffic flows
and incident detection. CCTV
cameras installed at various
locations are used to monitor
traffic condition and traffic
information is broadcast to
road users through the use of
VMS. Meanwhile, seamless
connectivity between modes
of public transport is realized
with the introduction of ITT.
Various modes of transport are
interconnected and users need
not travel far to change from one
mode to another.
Application of ITS is
particularly important in urban
areas, where traffic is often at full
capacity. Major cities in Malaysia
are facing mounting challenges
to long term sustainable
transportation systems. Rapid
urbanization inevitably leads to
an increase in travel demand.
For example, Kuala Lumpur
City Hall has established
Integrated Transport Information
System (ITIS) to manage traffic
congestion along major roads in
the city. Constraints in the public
transportation system in terms
of coverage, service quality,
integration with other modes of
transport and service reliability,
put upward pressure on the
rate of growth in private vehicle
ownership. Therefore, various
solutions with ITS integration
could help in addressing the
issue. Among other efforts
shown by the public authorities
are increasing the bus fleet size,
introduction of Bus Expressway
Transit (BET) routes, increasing
the number of carriages sets
for commuter rail services,
construction of ITTs, expansion
of Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines
and construction of a new Mass
Rapid Transit System (MRT).
It is hoped that the effort will
increase modal share for public
transport and effectively reduce
the congestion in the city as well
as to improve overall safety.
Though given the limited
number of ITS applications
currently deployed in Malaysia,
there are a lot of other ITS
applications that could be
evaluated. ITS may provide a
new set of tools for achieving
urban transport objectives
and policies. For example, ITS
systems that collect information
about the current state of
the transportation network,
process the information and
directly manage the network
through the use of VMS, traffic
signals or allow road users to
decide by providing them with
the latest traffic updates and
transit schedules. Strategic ITS
systems play an important role
in delivering policy objectives,
including improving road safety,
traffic congestion, reduction in
pollution, as well as improving
Electronic toll collection
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
mobility. The economy would
benefit through reduced
journey times and improved
reliability, energy efficiency and
overall improvement in safety.
Ultimately, economic viability
and vitality in the urban areas
and nearby would be increased,
making them better and more
attractive areas for investment.
M-ROADS
Focusing on the aspect of road
safety, the Malaysian Institute of
Road Safety Research (MIROS)
has embarked on the application
of ICT with the development of
a crash data management and
intelligence system. The system
named MIROS Road Accident
Analysis and Database System
(M-ROADS) was developed to
cater for the need of crash
data analysis and information
processing. As a research
institute, with focus on road
safety research, crash data
plays a vital role in formulating
evidence-based research. Issues
identification, which is often
used in research hypotheses,
may be obtained from the system
with ease. With the development
of M-ROADS, it offers the
convenient data analysis to
aid in research formulation. Its
additional function of crash data
entry and management will allow
for efficient and accurate data
entry.
M-ROADS system was
developed encompassing two
main functions, namely on-
site data entry and desktop
data analysis. An App has
been developed for convenient
data entry process and data
collection using tablets or smart-
phones commonly available in
the market. Users may install
M-ROADS app in any android-
based device (preferably bigger-
sized screen tablets for a better
viewing experience) and conduct
data entry at the crash site
itself. Crash data collection such
as general crash information,
pictures and location
determination through GPS and
maps can be conducted using
the app (Figure 1). In addition,
the user may also draw sketch
diagrams of the crash directly
from the app. Crash records may
be stored locally in the device
(and later transmitted to the
database server when Wi-Fi is
available) or transmitted directly
to its server through the use of
its data network. This eliminates
the need for each device to
maintain data network (which is
costly) in order for the process
to complete. On-site data entry
will enhance data reliability and
accuracy as data is captured
and stored immediately.
M-ROADS web-based
application portal was developed
to enable the user to analyse
the data. In addition to the
basic functionality of records
management, the portal also
offers users the ability to query
and analyse the data by using
the user-friendly interface.
Data cross-tabulation, report
generation and black-spot
location identification can
directly be done using the portal.
Data analysis features provide
flexibility for users in filtering
the dataset to match a specific
scope of inquiry. For example,
users that want to know statistics
for fatal crashes by collision type
and road geometry, occurring at
either office or shopping areas,
or occurring on federal or state
roads may do so by using record
filtering functionality in the
analysis (Figure 2).
In addition, filtering
functionality can also be applied
when mapping crash locations,
as depicted in Figure 3, where
fatal crash locations for express
busses are shown. Filtering
dataset functionality will allow
for focused interventions and
research to be as specific as
possible, hence increasing
Figure 1: On-site Data Entry
35
its effectiveness. Moreover,
locations identification filtered
to a specific issue will allow for
researchers and road transport
professionals to conduct
experiments and treat the issue
at the right spot, instead of
generalizing it. Accurate testing
and treatment can then be done
exactly at the place where it
happens.
LOCATION IDENTIFICATION
Example of M-ROADS application
is generating lists of black-
spot (frequent crash) locations
based on specific issues
identified. Location identification
with specific issues such as
speeding and red light running
can be generated from the
system at ease. From the list
of locations, the authority may
introduce specific interventions
to tackle issues such as black-
spot treatment programme
or placement of intelligent
enforcement system such as
the Automated Enforcement
System (AES). Therefore, by
using locations with specific
issues, interventions can be
more targeted and effective. In
addition, crash statistics that the
system generates will support
decision-making and provide
much needed evidence when
formulating road safety policies.
The development and
usage of M-ROADS for data
management and intelligence
has been recognized and its
benefit have been promoted
internationally. In year 2010,
M-ROADS won third place for
overall in Innovation Award for
Road Transport in Developing
Countries (INAROAD) and won
the road safety category. The
award was organized by the
International Road Federation
(IRF) and the ceremony was held
in 2011 at Bucharest, Romania
in conjunction with the launch of
United Nation Decade of Action
for Road Safety.
As the development in ICT
has been progressing rapidly
over the past decade, the
transportation sector should
not be left out in taking full
advantage of its benefit and
functionality. The precision and
sophistication it offers could
provide an excellent platform
for the transportation sector
to enhance its services and
safety. Therefore, its imperative
to find suitable ways to apply
ICT for developing an intelligent
transportation system where
drivers, vehicles and road
infrastructure work together
harmoniously and safely
with consequent reduction in
congestion, increased mobility
and better energy efficiency.
REFERENCES
ITS Asia-Pacific (2013). ITS
Guideline for Sustainable
Transport in the Asia-Pacific
Region. Retrieved from http://
www.its-jp.org/english/
files/2013/12/2013.12.5_
Final_ITS-Guideline.pdf
ITS Malaysia (2009). In
Background. Retrieved from
http://www.itsmalaysia.com.my/
content.php
World Health Organisation
(2013). Global status report on
road safety 2013: Supporting a
Decade of Action. Luxembourg:
WHO.
Figure 2: Cross-tabulation Analysis with Data Filtering
Figure 3: Location Identification for Fatal Crashes
Involving Express Busses in Year 2012
40 VOL 4 MARMAY 2013
The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM),
formed in 1972, is a statutory body
constituted under the Registration of
Engineers Act 1967. BEM falls within the
ambit of responsibility of the Minister of
Works. Its primary role is to facilitate the
registration of engineers and regulate the
professional conduct and practice of
registered engineers in order to
safeguard the safety and interest of the
public.
Under BEMs registration record are
15,000 Professional Engineers and
71,000 Graduate Engineers in various
disciplines and industries throughout
Malaysia.
Published quarterly by BEM, The Ingenieur,
reaches out to the engineering community
via a 13,500 print version as well as to
other readers via an e-format.
Readership is estimated at 50,000.
For advertising and subscription inquiries, please contact
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Where Engineers Excel
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6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
F
or the past three years, Malaysians construction
industry has brought up to 195 projects under
the National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) listed
in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP)
with a total investment of RM220 billion. These
projects are expected to contribute RM144 billion
to the gross national income and create 435,000
new jobs. In 2014, the construction sector will
keep the pace as the main economic driver and
become the major contributor for the Malaysian
economy.
At the same time the construction industry is
facing some of the greatest challenges presented
by the threat of global warming and environmental
damage. Regulators and, the industry itself, are
driving better practices in construction to improve
the contribution that construction makes to the
sustainability of communities and the economy at
large. Because the industry employs such large
numbers of people and involves large quantities
of material, it has a large impact on the built
environment. Any measures taken to improve the
utilization of people, assets, and materials have a
significant effect on the profitability, efficiency and
reputation of construction businesses.
The complexity of management of construction
site workers and supply chains for materials
has been recognized as a common hindrance in
construction industry for efficient management and
improving success in meeting project timescales.
From a safety aspect, protecting employees from a
potentially harmful and hazardous site environment
is an important concern of businesses where
construction accidents and injuries are an ever
present danger. Demonstrating compliance to
regulation and legislation is central to corporate
governance but can consume resources and be very
costly. In order to bridge efficiency and profitability
in construction, information and communications
technology (ICT) have played a crucial role in filling
the substantial gaps in the industry. One particular
technology that suits the construction environment
is the application of Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID). This has the ability to address the
construction related issues by improving the ability
of construction management to log and monitor
activities on site, keeping the track of tools and
materials, improving the supply chain and helping
to promote improved health and safety.
Construction Industry Development Board
(CIDB) Malaysia, through its research arm
(CREAM) and using a system developed by CIDB
- E-Construct, carried out a special research
programme called the Green Card Self-Regulation
System (GCSRS), where the use of a Green Card
Construction Industry Development Board
ENHANCING GREEN CARD
THROUGH RFID APPLICATION
By Mohd Syarizal Mohd Noor, Ir. Dr. Zuhairi Abd. Hamid
The Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia carried
out a pilot project called Green Card Self-Regulation System
using Green Card with Radio Frequency Identification in three
selected construction sites. Feedback has been positive for
construction site management and workers.
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with RFID is simulated in selected construction sites
to improve the CIDBs services in card issuance
and to see the potential of RFID implementation in
construction site management and workers. The
programme gives an opportunity for CIDB Malaysia
to minimize the loophole in current practices and
to see how the integration with RFID will benefit
their service delivery and quality. On top of that,
the pilot project will not only evaluate the concept
of RFID in the green card and the enhancement
of CIDB services but also, card usage will be
expanded further for the benefit of construction
workers and site administrators.
BACKGROUND: CONVENTIONAL GREEN CARD
During the early stage of the Green Card, the
laminated card was used by construction personnel
since 1996. After 2001, the plastic card was
introduced by CIDB to replace the laminated card
together with the improved of registration process,
card security and durability.
The card is still lacking in terms of security
features and can easily be forged by unauthorized
parties. This is be a big concern for enforcement
officers since they are solely dependent on the
printed information on the card as there is no
cross-checking facility in the system database for
verification purposes. Such unauthorised practices
can easily be manipulated by certain parties
through this loophole. The current card displays
the following details:
CIDB Worker Registration Number
Workers Name
IC/Passport Number
Card Expiry Date
Category and Citizenship Information
Trade Code
Trade Information
Besides the card features, the CIDBs
office still issues the card manually whereby an
officer keys in the clients information from a
registration form into the computer. The process
can be critically overloaded and troublesome
when handling a large volume of registration
forms. Time constraints and lack of manpower are
other factors of concern in providing satisfactory
service deliverable to the clients. Furthermore, the
significant cost of maintaining the printing machine
for the direct printing system is another issue due
to the damage-prone printer head and the heavy
daily printing workload.
At the moment, there are no specific tools
for CIDB Malaysia to collect useful data on
construction workers. The current method of
data collection is through surveys or contractor
registration, which is usually associated with
inaccurate data due to long response times and
poor feedback from contractors and workers. The
development of the GCSRS system through this
pilot project will integrate the RFID application into
the CIDB current system with additional information
on worker mobility at construction sites.
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
Considering the factors above, there is a
need for a total revamp of the system to improve
security, process delivery and cost optimization
while incorporating new current technology
practices in the green card system.
GREEN CARD: RFID TECHNOLOGY POTENTIAL &
APPLICATION
Basically RFID is the wireless non-contact use of
radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer
data, for the purpose of automatically identifying
and tracking tags attached to objects. Some
tags are powered by battery and operate over a
few metres via magnetic fields and then act as a
passive transponder to emit microwaves or Ultra-
High-Frequency radio waves. Others use a local
power source and may operate over hundreds
of metres. Unlike a barcode, the tag does not
necessarily need to be within line of sight of the
reader, and may be embedded in the tracked
object.
The history of RFID can be traced back
to early 1940s during World War II when it was
used to identify allied and enemy aircraft. The
technology started to evolve and has been widely
used in various applications such as:
Tracking persons and animals,
Access management,
Identifying and tracking goods and
assets,
Toll collection and contactless payment,
Machine readable travel documents,
Tracking sports memorabilia to verify
authenticity, and
Airport baggage tracking logistics.
RFID in Construction
In the construction industry, the application of RFID
has a huge potential to be exploited. RFID tags
allow information to be read contactlessly, or written
and fixed to tools, people or materials used in the
sector. As a result it is possible to track and trace
individual items through what has been termed as
the Internet of things. In term of handling site
workers and resources, it can improve the quality
of project management by replacing manual data
collection methods with automated ones which
are faster and more reliable for detail analysis.
Furthermore RIFD can help make information
about assets or resources more readily available
by enabling the collection and consolidation
of information for reporting and auditing. Such
applications will result in improving accountability
by establishing who did what with which, where and
when. The applications of RFID specifically in the
construction sector are as follows:
Access control to sites or areas within
sites and monitoring security staff
activities on site,
Health, safety & environmental
compliance,
Maintenance control and management,
Control of the location of valuable assets,
Material identification and tracking, and
Plant equipment tracking and control
Looking at such potential, CIDB Malaysia
carried out a RFID pilot project by incorporating the
system into the green card infrastructure called
GCSRS. This system is an approach to install
RFID chips in the current CIDBs green card that
is currently used by construction industry workers.
Such a system allows the full benefits of a smart
communication system and provides the platform
for online initiatives where CIDB could shift their
manual form-filling to a computerised and Internet-
based system for daily operation management
with their clients.
The current green card only displays
information of workers printed on the card without
any smart technology embedded. GCSRS
implementation, allows the RFID card to be used
in many applications similar to the Malaysians
Identity Card. The memory within the card can be
retrieved and stored electronically when needed by
using an appropriate RFID device.
Furthermore, RFID card functionality can be
fully utilized with the application of a new integrated
RFID counter system that could increase the
efficiency of the counter service. Instead of using
a manual key-in approach when searching card
data in the database, the application of a RFID
scanner will speed up the search process and
cut queuing times at the counter. Similarly CIDBs
enforcement teams can use a RIFD scanner during
site checking. The enforcement officer just needs
to bring along the RFID mobile reader (validator),
which could be used to check and validate the
construction personnel card instantly on site
instead of using the old method of manually
checking the attendance list.
41
The other part of this programme is the
use of kiosks as one method to self-apply, renew
and update the information of the green card. By
using a kiosk, the site workers can update the
information without having to go to CIDB branches.
This will increase the effectiveness and usage of
the green card. The card function is not the only
benefit to CIDB but it is extended to the contractor
for site project management. By installing a RFID
site reader, the site worker will be able to scan
their card for site record in-out and could help the
site administration monitor their workers.
GCSRS System Overview
The GCSRS system is the integration of several
systems with the GCSRS server as the database
backbone and synchronized with the server
database from CIDB. The overall system overview
is illustrated in Figure 1. The GCSRS consists of:
Green Card with RFID chip for the card
holder,
Counter System with RFID Card
processing capability,
Kiosk System for public access,
Site Reader for site contractor and
workers, and
Validator (mobile card reader) for CIDB
Enforcement Officer.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
1. RFID integrated Green Card
The RFID smart card is a contactless card that
contains an internal memory that securely
manages, stores and provides data access using a
Radio Frequency (RF) technology. The elements in
the RFID card are the antenna, IC Chip and plastic
protection cover. It is an excellent privacy-enabling
solution for applications that need to protect
personal information and secure communication
with a smart card. The illustration in Figure 2
shows the content of the card.
2. RFID Card Processing System for the Desk/
Counter
The system consists of new counter system and
desktop personalization machine. The counter
system will operate at the CIDBs counter service
Figure 1: GCSRS Overview
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
for the RFID card printing and issuance for less
than five registrations. For batch processing more
than five and up to 100 registrations at one time,
there will be a desktop personalization machine
behind the counter to serve this purpose. The
system comprises integration hardware with
specific functions of:
Desktop PC To operate and control all
the related equipment for card printing
access,
Contactless Card Reader To read or
write RFID card for the data verification
in the system,
Scanner To scan the document and
photograph during the card registration,
and
RFID Card Printer To print and encode
the RFID card.
3. Kiosk
The kiosk system will complement the counter
system where it provides a self-service centre
for registration, renewal and information inquiry
regarding the green card at anytime and anywhere.
This service will enable construction personnel to
acquire services related to their green card at a
convenient time. Such an initiative would reduce
the workload and long queues at the service
counter. The framework of the kiosk is illustrated
in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Kiosk System Architecture
3. Site RFID Reader
In order to extend the function of GCSRS to the contractor, the research project
included the installation of a site reader at the construction site. Construction
personnel who have a valid RFID green card were able to flash their card at the site
reader during the entrance and exit. This system acts as an attendance recording
device whereby the employer can monitor construction personnel on the site. If there
is an emergency, the safety officer can use the data in the RIFD reader to instantly
identify any missing persons on the site instead of doing this manually. In addition,
the system provides CIDB with real time monitoring of construction personnel on site
on a daily or monthly basis. The site reader (Figure 4) consists of:
RFID Controller Board,
GPRS Data Communication Modem, and
RFID Reader

Figure 4: RFID Card Reader System at Construction Site
Payee
Account
CDIB
Current Account
Secured
Internet
Infrastructure
CDIB
Central Management
System
Single Kiosk Multiple Array Kiosks
Network
Success Status
Transfer
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4. Site RFID Reader
In order to extend the function of GCSRS to the
contractor, the research project included the
installation of a site reader at the construction
site. Construction personnel who have a valid RFID
green card were able to flash their card at the site
reader during the entrance and exit. This system
acts as an attendance recording device whereby
the employer can monitor construction personnel
on the site. If there is an emergency, the safety
officer can use the data in the RIFD reader to
instantly identify any missing persons on the site
instead of doing this manually. In addition, the
Figure 3:
Kiosk System
Architecture
Figure 2: Elements in RFID Card
43
system provides CIDB with real time monitoring
of construction personnel on site on a daily or
monthly basis. The site reader (Figure 4) consists
of:
RFID Controller Board,
GPRS Data Communication Modem, and
RFID Reader
5. Mobile RIFD Reader (Enforcement Validator)
The Mobile RFID Reader is a special mobile
equipment used by the enforcement unit for
card site checking. Normally site enforcement
officers ask the contractor to provide the list of
the site workers and from there, the enforcement
unit carries out a manual checking process of
the workers by requesting them to show their
green card. Apart from the checking itself, the
enforcement unit also has to do random site
visits without warning to check a certain site. With
the GCSRS, the enforcement unit has specific
target based online data from the site transmitter
resulting in a more efficient checking practice. The
card is scanned using the validator which confirms
card validity and ownership. The card is checked
using the printed information on the card itself, the
card database in the validator and also remotely in
the CIDB server.
6. Web Management Portal
The GCSRS web portal allows the data of a tagged
RFID card owned by a construction workers on site
to be viewed and monitored by
site administration and CIDB.
This data can be used by CIDB
for studying the mobility pattern
of construction workers. As for
the site contractor, accessibility
through the web portal allows
the employer to monitor their
workers attendance on site.
GCSRS: PILOT PROJECT
IMPLEMENTATION
The pilot project has been
evaluated from two different
aspects involving management
of the card issuance process
and practicality at construction
sites. Two CIDB offices were
Figure 5: A Mobile
RFID Reader
Figure 4: RFID Card
Reader System at
Construction Site
Figure 6: Web Portal Login Page
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
selected for the project in order to simulate the
new RFID card process and issuance to the clients.
At the same time, construction sites were also
selected and their workers received new RFID card
to be used for attendance tagging.
Selection of Pilot
Project for CIDB
Offices
The selection of
CIDB state offices
was based on
the selection of
construction sites
involved in the pilot
project. Since three
construction sites
were selected from
Selangor, Kuala
Lumpur and another
site in Malacca, CIDB
Wilayah Persekutuan
was selected to cater
for the needs of RFID card printing in Selangor
and Kuala Lumpur while CIDB Melaka will serve
the selected construction site in Malacca. The
necessary equipment to enable office personnel
to print and read the RFID card was installed in
the selected offices. Particularly it involved the
installation of a new counter system and desktop
personalization machine for each office together
with necessary staff training. In terms of application
management, the current procedure was still
maintained except for the additional process for
RFID card encoding or decoding. Beside the card
printing equipment, the respective offices had
a kiosk installed to allow the visitor to have a
look and feel on the system including testing the
system functionality and reliability.
Selection of Pilot Project for Construction Sites
Three sites were selected for the pilot project
based on their location. The location of the sites
were chosen on the basis of urban, sub-urban and
remote. Such factors gave a better understanding
of the system connectivity especially when dealing
with construction sites in remote areas since
the site reader needs an Internet connection to
communicate with the GCSRS server. The location
of selected sites were:
Sub-Urban: Sepang, Selangor
This site consists of one gate entrance and
approximately 200 site workers working at
a particular period. Most of the workers are
from Indonesia and come to the construction
site by bus. The bus provides two trips at 7.00
a.m. and 7.30 p.m. The sites security guard
had a daily checking device during project
implementation. The installation involved a
pole, power source cable, a reader and solar
panel. The power source for the reader was
obtained from a solar panel installed for this
purpose.
Urban: Kuala Lumpur
This site has two entrance gates where one
is the workers main entrance and another
is for the construction supply drop down.
They are 261 site workers currently working
and the amount increases during peak
construction times. At the main entrance of
the construction site there is a guard post
for personnel registration when entering the
site. So the placement of the site reader was
strategically located near the guard post for the
convenience of card tagging. The power source
for the GCSRS equipment was drawn from
the electricity of guard post. The installation
involved a pole, powers source cable, and a
reader.
Remote: Jasin, Melaka
The site is a new university campus in Melaka,
which is built on a 86-hectare site and is
expected to be completed within 30 months.
Even though the site has one main entrance,
the site workers live in a dormitory within the
construction site. During a site inspection,
this particular site needed two site readers
to allow data collection of administrative staff
and site workers because of the geography
and location of the offices.
During the pilot project, the workers at
the construction sites involved in the project
were required to tag their RFID card to the site
reader installed at the main entrance of the
site. The recorded tagged data was sent to the
GCSRS server located at CIDB office during a
Figure 7: Site Reader
Installation at Construction
Site
45
designated time or via a manual request through
Short-Messaging-Services (SMS). This allowed
optimization of the system connectivity without
overloading the bandwidth of the system from
continuous connection between the reader and
the server. Site administration was also able to
view the site workers attendance data at their
respective site by accessing the GCSRS web
portal with the login credentials provided. This
allowed site administration to view the attendance
of their workers for their daily management and
monitoring purposes. By using a web management
application, the histories of their workers was
recorded (time, date, site and etc.) on a daily
basis.
FEEDBACK ON THE GCSRS SYSTEM
Data obtained through portal monitoring gave an
overview of the systems connectivity and reliability
by ensuring the connection between the site reader
and GCSRS server. However the perception of the
user, especially the perspective of CIDB officers,
contractors and site workers was still needed.
Therefore site interviews and surveys were carried
out to complete the feedback on the system.
The interviews were conducted with various CIDB
departments and the respective construction
sites. Additionally, survey forms were distributed
at the construction sites to the administrative staff
and the site workers.
The interviews conducted with CIDB
personnel were generally about the current system
practice and how the new system implementation
might improve their daily work schedule dependant
on the functions of their respective department.
With the introduction of the new system, the
pilot project looked into human capacity and
adaptation and possible enhancement of daily
work. As for the construction sites, the feedback
was based on interviews with representatives from
administration and the survey forms given to the
site workers to provide a better overall picture of
the newly implemented system. The data gathered
was mainly focused on the hardware of the system
reliability at the construction site and also looking
at the contractors perspective of the RFID card
system as a whole.
Benefits for CIDB Operation
Based on the study conducted, integration of
RFID through GCSRS in CIDBs operation will
provide a huge benefit in term of:
1. Improved service and faster card issuance
ease of new card registration and renewal
by electronic form filling and the use of
RFID scanner to search the database.
2. Simplified registration and renewal
process - promote self-registration through
a kiosk instead of going to the counter.
3. Huge reduction in workload and manpower
compared with the current conventional
system for green card operation.
4. Reduce material and resources the RFID
card is reusable and has a long lifespan. It
will reduce the need to print new cards for
renewal and subsequently reduce printing
maintenance costs.
5. Improvement of enforcement work - more
site visits and checking with a mobile
reader will validate a workers green card
in less than a minute.
6. Improvement on card security level and
minimizing card forgery A green card with
an embedded RFID is more secure and
provides an added layer of security.
Benefits for Site Management & Workers
Deployments of RFID based systems at the
pilot construction sites have provided the
following advantages:
1. More efficient recording of workers
attendance workers just need to flash
the RFID card on the reader during into or
out of the site and reduces queuing time.
2. Reduced payroll cost RFID tagging can
automate data collection of attendance and
hours worked, thus saving administrative
costs of time keeping and security staff.
3. More systematic monitoring of workers by
site administration simplified traceability
of headcount during emergency cases.
4. The functionality of the card can be
extended to workers benefits - more value-
added features such as salary payment,
Touch n Go, banking services, and many
more are possible.
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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RECOMMENDATION & SUMMARY
GCSRS is one of the approaches for the CIDB
to move from a conventional manually operated
method to an online system. It provides added
value to the current services without ignoring the
benefits to the contractor. Such system is in line
with Government initiatives in promoting paperless,
faster and efficient delivery.
Based on the feedback received from the
research, GCSRS will bring more services and
process enhancement to the CIDB. With the
inclusion of RFID in the card, the registration and
renewal process has been simplified by moving
the data key-in process to the applicant side and
hence will significantly reduce the manpower in
processing forms. Furthermore the integration of
kiosks will provide a new platform to the client for
self registration and renewal at a convenient time
and allow greater future interactivity for the card
holder. As for the mobile reader implementation,
the equipment will provide more efficient operating
procedures for the enforcement officers when
conducting construction site checking and
consequently minimize the fraudulent card issue.
The pilot implementation of GCSRS has
received positive responses and feedback from
the site contractors. The integration of RFID, card
and site reader allows for proper and better site
management in term of monitoring site workers.
Based on the data collected from the portal, the
connectivity between far-reach site and GCSRS
server is not a major issue at all. In term of security,
the safety of the equipment is guaranteed and free
from vandalism with continuous monitoring from
the site management.
Further recommendations made during the
study include:
Online payment mechanism through web or
kiosk will promote green card self-registration
and self-renewal. This will reduce substantial
workload on counter staff especially data key-
in and hence increase efficiency.
More service integration with other Government
agencies to add more value to the RFID card.
Site management is fully supporting the use
of GCSRS system. However the system needs
to be more adaptable for site management
attendance.
To increase card tagging among the site
workers, the approach should be more top-
down where the site management needs to
enforce it.
Site location and geography factor should be
carefully considered for site reader placement
and also the need for multiple entry site
requirements.
System design improvement in term of
hardware and user-interactivity for better
application at site condition.
The kiosk function needs to include more
functionality and consideration for multi-
language or voice enabled-command.
In order for RFID applications in the
construction industry to be sustainable and to
increase the level of acceptance among the
industry players, the following factors need to be
considered:
Develop a module of best practice for RFID
application in the construction industry,
Increase the level of expertise in RFID,
Improve the scope and effectiveness of
standardization, and
Foster a culture of innovation with respect to
the use of RFID.
GCSRS has great potential and benefit both
for CIDB Malaysia and contractors. It will be the
key to the future gateway in transforming the
landscape of the construction industry in parallel
with the evolution of ICT.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to express their gratitude
to all respective parties who contributed their
time and effort in developing and providing
feedback during the pilot project especially to
Bahagian Pengurusan Maklumat & Bahagian
Latihan Industri, CIDB Malaysia, CIDB Wilayah
Persekutuan and CIDB E-Construct Sdn Bhd.
REFERENCES
Final R&D Report Green Card Self-Regulation
System (GCSRS)
CoreRFID (2009), Construction & RFID: The
ROI [White Paper]. Retrieved from http://www.
corerfid.com/Files/White%20Papers/013%20
Construction%20and%20RFID%20-%20The%20
ROI%20V2.pdf
47
INNOVATION IN ELECTRICITY
SUPPLY VALUE CHAIN:
SMART GRID
By Dr Ir. Syed Ahmad Fuad Syed Abdul Hamid,
Dr Leong Yow Peng & Ir. Loo Kok Seng,
Tenaga Nasional Berhad
P
R
O
J
E
C
T

R
E
P
O
R
T
Smart Grid is an integration of various tools and technologies
i.e. automation and ICT infrastructure to enable the grid to
operate more intelligently, efficiently and reliably. It also
offers two-way communication between the utility and
consumers. Tenaga Nasional Bhd has taken steps toward
implementing Smart Grid since 2010.
T
he urge for utilities to modernize their energy
networks is fast becoming evident nowadays.
The challenges of meeting growing demand
for electricity and environmental concerns are
placing increasing pressure on the infrastructure
of most utilities. The prevailing design philosophy
for the electricity grid is a legacy from a period
when energy was relatively cheap and plentiful
while meeting the rising demand was the leading
driver. The energy industry is now at the point of
transition into a new era where clean energy will
be at a premium, networks need to be flexible to
incorporate customers demand for greater insight
and control over their own consumption and the
advent of new low-carbon technologies. Inevitably,
utilities need to search for an intelligent electric
eco-system that can handle these challenges in a
sustainable, reliable and economic way.
Smart Grid is the evolution of current
electrical grid, using new technologies to optimize
the conservation and delivery of power. It
empowers customers by creating the foundation
necessary for a number of new technology-driven
energy alternatives, emission reductions, supply
and demand side management capabilities and
encourages energy efficiency by providing real-time
energy usage data to customers.
SMART GRID IN TNB
Presently, most developed countries notably
United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, Korea and
Singapore have embarked on Smart Grid technology
spurred by the full support from Government bodies
as well as private sector organisations. Meanwhile,
developing nations such as Malaysia are still
expanding their grids and gradually embracing this
intelligent technology. The concept of Smart Grid
envisioned by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) is
well illustrated in Figure 2.0 below which has the
following capabilities:
Delivering energy more efficiently and
reliably,
Providing the capacity to integrate more
renewable energy into existing networks,
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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Enabling customers to have greater
control of their usage pattern and
conservation,
Having considerable capacity to reduce
global carbon emissions,
Providing the ability to manage increasing
numbers of electric vehicles and charging
stations, and
Simulating an array of new business
models in the energy sector.
Definition of Smart Grid
There are various definitions of Smart Grid in
the literature, for example, Korean Electric Power
Corporation (KEPCO) defines Smart Grid as an
intelligent power system that integrates existing
generation, transmission and distribution systems
with information communications technology (ICT)
which enhances the efficiency of the energy supply,
stabilizes the power system and increases the
acceptability of renewable energies and energy
storage systems. It can also provide high quality
electricity to customers through demand side
management and by improving the power system
stability with data gathered from many sensors, not
to mention its ability to predict and deal with failures.
TNB has established the delineations of
Smart Grid as upgrading the capability of the
existing electric power grid by deploying more
automation and ICT technologies to enable the
grid to operate more efficiently, reliably and offer
additional services to consumers to save money
and reduce CO
2
emissions.
Smart Grid Schemes in TNB
Leveraging on the integration of automation,
technology, communication and IT applications
on existing grid network, TNB envisions having
a smarter grid beyond 2020 which will have the
following schemes:
49
Source : Electric Power Research Institute
Powerplant
RE & Energy
Storage
Transmission
& Distribu9on
Commercial
Industry
Residen9al
Load
Despatch
Centre/
EMS
Nuclear
Hydro
Fossil
Solar
Wind
BaGery
Flywheel
lighting
BIPV
Machineries
BIPV
EV
appliances
Air-cond
Smart
Meters
Smart
Meters
Smart
Meters
Figure 2.0: Smart Grid concept: integration of
various tools and technologies in the system
Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition Systems (SCADA) with
Energy Management Systems (EMS)
and Distribution Management Systems
(DMS)
Enterprise IT network covering
substations and field offices with
reliable communication systems
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)/
Asset Management Systems
Geographical Information System
mapping of electrical network assets
and consumers on geospatial maps
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
with two-way communication and Meter
Data
Metering Data Management Systems
(MDMS)
Electronic Billing Systems and Customer
Care Systems
Distribution Automation (DA) and
Substation Automation Systems
Outage Management Systems (OMS)
Mobile Crew Management Systems
Enterprise Application Integration
Analytics(converting data into business
intelligence)
Dynamic Tariff
Renewable Energy Integration
Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure
Integration
The latest technology embraced by TNB is the
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) which is the
main focus of this article. AMI is an emerging field,
which in functional terms is part of the electricity
sector but requires technological components and
know-how that originate from the ICT sector. The
field is still in an early stage of development with
technological standards, business models and
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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consumer services still in flux with many different
firms trying to establish their role and niche in
Smart Grid business. The definition of AMI as
explained in the Institue of Electrical & Electronic
Engineers (IEEE) Report 2013 is as follows:
a. Automatic reading, processing and
transmission of metering data,
b. Possibility of bi-directional data
communication in real-time (or with only
a small time lag),
c. Support of additional services and
applications, e.g. home automation,
remote (dis-) connection of supply or
load limitation, and
d. Remote update of meter firmware to
enable new services, communication
protocols, etc.
AMI DEPLOYMENT IN TNB
It is observed that many utilities worldwide are
deploying AMI through a pilot poject approach
before gradually moving into large scale
implementation. For instance, Electricite Reseau
Distribution France (ERDF) in France has piloted
300,000 smart meters under the Linky Project in
Paris while Endessa and Iberdrola in Spain have
installed 22,000 and 100,000 smart meters
respectively. Meanwhile in USA, Austin Energy
began with 418,900 smart meters, Central Maine
Power Co installed 607,000 meters, PG&E fitted
only 5,000 meters and Connecticut Light and
Power chose to deploy 1,500 meters in their
respective trial projects.
The rationale behind this move is easy to
comprehend since;
a. AMI is a costly undertaking, hence a pilot
project provides useful data/learning to
validate the business case before large
scale deployment; and
b. A pilot project approach minimises the
risks and disruptions to the electricity
supply industry. Among the risks
associated with AMI are:
Cyber-security threat;
Customer resistance due to
perceptions of increasing bills,
health issues associated with radio
frequency (RF) radiation;
Personal data privacy issues; and
Interoperability, scalability and
technology readiness.
TNB is currently implementing an AMI
demonstration project in Melaka and Putrajaya.
It is supported through funding from the Akaun
Amanah Industri Bekalan Elektrik (AAIBE) for a
24 months project implementation. The main
objective of this project is to develop AMI as pilot
sites in TNB. The scopes of the AMI initiatives are
as follows:
Installation of 1,000 smart meters; 200
smart meters in Putrajaya and 800 smart
meters in Melaka; and
Development of ICT infrastructure and
systems integration (back-end system).
The experience and lessons from this pilot
project will provide useful inputs for decision-
making to implement larger roll-outs of smart
meters. Pilot implementation will provide a
test environment for different technologies and
communication platforms. TNB AMI demonstration
project will assess the suitability of different
communication technologies i.e. RF mesh, Power
Line Carrier (PLC) and General Packet Radio
Service (GPRS). TNB is also leveraging on the
pilot project to understand customer acceptance
and AMI behaviour by developing a comprehensive
customer engagement plan.
As illustrated in Figure 3.0, the AMI
architecture consists of three layers:
1. Hardware layer - The hardware layer
consists of the traditional distribution
network plus intelligent sensors that
collect information about the status and
operations of the hardware,
2. Communication layer - The communi-
cation layer allows gathering data from
distributed end devices (e.g. metering
data) and sending signals to the end
device (two-way communication), and
3. Software or application layer - The third
layer is the software or application layer
that allows for aggregation and analysis
of the collected data. A meter data
management system (MDMS) is one
example for a software solution.
The three layers need to be integrated into
an end-to-end solution that allows the system to
work seamlessly. Neither the communication nor
51
the software layer was needed in the past. MDMS
data will be synchronized with data in TNBs other
relevant information systems. Customer data
captured in the customer database, e-CIBS, must
be reflected in the billing system, the MDMS, and
the AMI head-end systems to ensure that new
customer information is correctly associated with
the proper meter data in a timely manner. TNB
deploys a service-oriented architecture (SOA)
which enables it to build the code once and
leverage it when needed as a standard service,
thereby reducing the cost of code development and
enhancing flexibility to accommodate continuing
advances in AMI technologies.
Smart Metering/AMI encompasses various
players in the energy industry. Utilities, customers,
regulators and solution providers are the main
benefactors of the new technology, as detailed in
Figure 3.1.
The main objectives of the smart meter
deployment in TNB are improving energy and
network efficiency, improving operational efficiency
and empowering customers. To maximize potential
benefits of the technology, TNB has set up nine
functional requirements as part of its AMI as
follows:
Automatic Meter Reading (AMR),
Load Profiling,
Tamper and Theft Detection,
Supply Automation (Remote Connect/
Disconnect),
Outage Event Management (Plan and
Outage Notification),
Information on energy consumption,
billing, rates, etc. (via Web Portal, IHD
and SMS),
POWERING THE NATION
AMI Scope in TNB (Fig 3.0)
POWERING THE NATION
3
Reduction in Carbon Emission
Satisfied Customers
Modernized Energy Network
Financially sound utilities
REGULATOR
CUSTOMER
Improve Reliability of Supply
Improve Quality of Supply Voltage Optimization
User friendly and transparent interface with utilities
Increased choices for customers, i.e. green power
Saving due to Time of Use (TOU) Tariff
Improve Reliability and Quality Supply
Reduction in T&D Losses
Peak Load Management
Better Asset Management
Satisfied Customers
Improve Operational Efficiency
UTILITY
Create business and job opportunities for:
Energy infrastructure vendors
IT Hardware providers
Software Firms
Telecommunication Companies
System Integrators
SOLUTION PROVIDER
Benets of AMI (Fig 3.1)
Figure 3.0: Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in TNB
Figure 3.1 Benefits of AMI to customer, utility, regulator and solution provider
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
Time of Use (TOU) Based Billing,
Smart Payment (Pre-payment), and
Incentive Based Demand Response.
These features or value-added services to
the customers will be developed and introduced
in phases based on the readiness of the IT
integration and legislative framework such as
Demand and Response. The targeted development
of the functionalities is depicted in Figure 3.2.
CONCLUSION
The Smart Grid project is a change management
journey which involves innovation throughout
the electricity value chain, utilizing advanced IT
and communications infrastructure, people and
processes. It requires advanced planning to
ensure seamless integrations with the existing/
new systems, ICT infrastructure readiness,
business process re-engineering, human capital
development and comprehensive consumer
engagement plan. The successful implementation
of Smart Grid requires strong Government and
regulatory support with the relevant policies and
supporting grants, and allows the utility to recover
the costs through the rate base. The benefits
that can be accrued from this project are long
term in nature and dependent on the availability
of value-added services to customers. In this
regard, most countries provide significant grants
(e.g. USA, Japan, Korea) and/or regulatory pass-
through to customers (e.g. Australia, Spain) to
cover the high capital investment of Smart Grid
implementation.
Figure 3.2: Phases of Functionalities of AMI
POWERING THE NATION
4
Phases of funcEonaliEes of AMI (Fig 3.2)
REFERENCES
1. Utility-Scale Smart Meter Deployments, Plans,
& Proposals, IEE Report May 2012
2. European Smart Metering Landscape Report,
Smart Regions Feb 2011
3. Electric Power Research Institute, http://
smartgrid.epri.com/Index.aspx
4. Erlinghagen, S and Markarda, J. 2012. Smart
grids and the transformation of the electricity
sector: ICT firms as potential catalysts for
sectoral change, Energy Policy 51 (2012)
895906
5. Farhangi, H., 2010. The path of the Smart Grid.
IEEE Power and Energy Magazine January/Feb,
1828
6. House of Commons, UK, SMART METERS,
page 3, Dec 2012
7. Accenture, Forging a Path toward a Digital
Grid: Global Perspective on Smart Grid
Opportunities, 2013
8. The Edison Foundation, Innovations Across
the Grid: Partnerships Transforming the Power
Sector, Dec 2013.
9. San Diego Gas and Electric, Smart Grid
Deployment Plan 2011-2020, June 6, 2011.
10. Ministry of Power, Government of India, Smart
Grid Vision and Roadmap for India, August 12,
2013.
11. BC Hydro, Smart Metering & Infrastructure
Programs Business Case, 2012.
12. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI),
January 2014.
53
First of all, on behalf on behalf
BEM, I wish to thank you for
the opportunity to interview YB
and a belated congratulation
for your appointment as
Deputy Minister of MITI.
Would you like to provide us a
short background of yourself
when you were working as an
engineer?
My technical training started
when I was granted a Johor
State Government scholarship to
study Civil Engineering at UTM.
After my graduation in 1979 with
a diploma, I was posted to JKR
Road Division. Later, I obtained
approval again from Johor
State Government to pursue
my Engineering degree course
at University of Strathclyde,
Glasgow UK and graduated with
a degree in Civil Engineering.
Upon returning to
Malaysia, I was posted to JKR
Muar District talking charge of
Building Division as an Executive
S
P
O
T
L
I
G
H
T
Datuk Ir. Hamim Samuri
TECHNOCRAT
CUM POLITICIAN
Ir. Fong posing questions to MITI Deputy Minister,
Datuk Ir. Hamim Samuri
Datuk Ir. Hamim Samuri, Deputy Minister of
Ministry of International Trade and Industry
(MITI), a civil engineer by training, was
interviewed by Ingenieur Editor Dato Ir.
Fong Tian Yong at Beijing Hotel, China in
February 25, 2014. Here are the excerpts
from the interview.
Engineer. The Building Division
is in charge of construction as
well as maintenance of most
Government buildings such as
schools, hospital and clinics,
telecommunication structures,
post offices, government
quarters and so on.
I consider myself lucky to
be trained in various fields of
engineering in JKR which is in
charge of roads, water works and
public buildings for Government
projects. Moreover, I was
trained for project management
where scheduling, progress
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
monitoring and site problem
settlement was given top priority
from top management of JKR
Headquarters. With limited
staff then but given many
projects to be implemented
due to the ambitious five-year
development plans, me and my
team had to work very hard to
deliver the projects for various
Government agencies such as
Ministry of Health, Education,
Defense, Internal Security, state
departments etc.
What prompted you to enter
politics?
When I was working with JKR
as an engineer, I was constantly
involved with community works
and social activities for the
welfare of the rural folks.
I was frequently asked to
repair their rural roads, small
bridges, community halls and
water mains. As a Government
department, there is limitation
as some of the requests were
beyond our scope. However,
requests such as village road
repair can be easily settled by
using quarry waste from JKR
quarry.
For works that were beyond
my departments scope, I then
began to think of other solution
such as seeking fund from
Wakil Rakyat to fund community
project that were badly needed
by them. After some engagement
with these people, I then began
to realize that one way to help
the community is to engage
with politics where fund and
connectivity with right agencies
were made easier. It is one
way to serve the community.
Do you see it an advantage
as an engineer to serve as a
Deputy Minister of MITI?
Engineering training provided
me with the analytical mind to
evaluate problems and emerge
with solutions. My days with JKR
as engineer had exposed me
considerably with the industry
particularly the construction
industry, manufacturers, sup-
pliers, builders, tradesmen,
insurance companies, workers
union etc. Construction, after
all is a team work although
engineers normally play the lead
role for Government projects.
All these have given me an
edge when I serve as the Deputy
Minister of MITI. I am able to
comprehend with ease when the
industry players try to present
their proposals with technical
jargons, theories and issues.
Engineering training has
also facilitated me in crunching
numbers and analyzing data in
a swift manner as the strategic
plans and initiatives in trade and
industry revolves around data as
baseline background.
When I was first introduced
to MITI management and staff as
their new Deputy Minister as well
as an engineer, I could notice an
interesting reaction from the
crowd that acknowledged me as
both a technocrat as well as a
politician.
When I visited SilTerra
Factory which manufactures
wafer in Kulim Baru, I could
understand their technical
briefing and issues faced with
ease. They were considering the
expansion of the plant but were
concerned with procedures and
red tapes both technical and
commercial. Understanding their
plight, I immediately offered to
facilitate them by mediating
with all necessary agencies and
regulators. I see them as catalyst
in attracting more high-tech
industries to this region which
will in turn boost our economic
performance. For that, we have
to provide a good impression
and image as an investors
friendly nation. We have to
show foreign investors too that
we have the necessary human
logistic support for the setting
up of High-Tech industries.
Hopefully, these few High-Tech
industries can be a showcase to
the world at large that Malaysia
has the logistical support and
as an attractive location of High-
Tech industries.
When I visited Proton
automobile manufacturing plant,
I was made to understand their
new focus on Electric Vehicle
(EV) as the way forward. To me,
the whole success factor for
EV hinges on the performance
of the battery. The battery has
to satisfy five basic requisites
which are the appropriate size,
rechargeable capacity, life span,
and cost and distance range.
For that, I suggested to them
to collaborate with few other
battery industry players and
concentrate on R&D to develop
an efficient and yet affordable
battery that satisfies the above
five requisites. I have, in fact,
engaged a few battery industry
players to work with them to gain
an edge in the EV industry.
Can YB tell us your mission
here in Beijing?
Today, I am leading the Malaysian
delegation to the First meeting
of the Joint Steering Council
of China-Malaysia Qinzhou
Industrial Park and Malaysia-
China Kuantan Industrial Park
in Beijing on February 25, 2014.
55
This is a joint council to monitor

the works of the two national
status industrial parks jointly
launched by YAB Prime Minister
Malaysia and Premier of PR
China in 2011.
The China-Malaysia
Qinzhou Industrial Park (QIP)
occupies 55 sq km in Qinzhou
City, Guangxi province that is
jointly developed by Chinese
and Malaysian companies. For
the first phase, it will house the
Industrial zone, Sci-Tech R&D
Zone ad Service Residential
Area. The whole park will
eventually home to 500,000
people.
As the state status project,
investors here will be accorded
special incentives by the central
and provincial Government of
PR China. To date, construction
works have started on phase
one where the administrative
office and major roads have
been completed.
As for the Malaysia-
China Kuantan Industrial Park,
planning is at advance stage.
Similarly, Malaysian Government
will provide special incentives for
investors for this Industrial Park.
For this mission, I had
the honour of meeting my
counterpart, Vice Minister of
MOFCOM (Ministry of Commerce)
China, Madam Guo Yan. We had
a detailed discussion and free
exchange of views in enhancing
trade and industries between
China and Malaysia.
Talking about trade
with China, both nations
have signed a Five Year
Programme for Economic and
Trade Cooperation between
Malaysia and China on October
4, 2013 between the Minister
of MITI, Malaysia and Minister
of MOFCOM, China that was
witnessed by YAB Prime Minister
Malaysia and HE President
of PR China. The programme
outlines areas of co-operation
and strategic plans in trade and
industry. One of the programmes
is on engineering services. I
believe there are many areas
that both nations can share for
better synergy in various fields
such as energy-efficiency sector.
Can YB tell us some of your
challenges and experience in
holding such an important post
as Deputy Minister of MITI?
MITI is always on the local
economic radar screen as
International trade and Industry
can be considered the lifeline
of the nation. There are many
issues dealing with international
players for which Malaysian
interest has to be guarded.
The proposed Trans-
Pacific Partnership Agreement
(TPPA) still has many issues
that have not been resolved,
taking cognizance of Malaysian
interest. We have to engage
local stakeholders in the
whole process to ensure that
their interests too are well
addressed.
For the foreign direct in-
vestment (FDI), we are in the
transition period as we are trans-
forming from labour intensive
industry to High-Tech industry.
We need to be more selective
in choosing the right type of new
industries while managing the
existing industries for smoother
The new Government policy of liberalization of the
service industry will pose several challenges to the local
professionals who may see it as threat or opportunities.
I hope local professionals such as the engineers will
prepare themselves by raising their level of skill and
professionalism.
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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transition. With the aspiration
of expanding High-Tech industry,
we need to maintain a pool of lo-
cal talent skill in the High-Tech
technology and highly skilled
management support. This is
one requisite to attract High-
Tech FDI to Malaysia as one way
to achieve a high income econ-
omy by 2020. This is where en-
gineers and technologists have
a pivotal role to play as support
base of the industry.
The new Government
policy of liberalization of the
service industry will pose
several challenges to the local
professionals who may see it
as threat or opportunities. I
hope local professionals such
as the engineers will prepare
themselves by raising their level
of skill and professionalism.
Just as foreign professionals
can enter Malaysia to provide
their professional services; local
professionals can enter into
their territories as well. For that,
up skilling through training is
important.
As a Member of
Parliament few years back, I
have been urging repeatedly in
Parliament that JKR must set
up their own training institution
to create skilled human
resource logistics. I am happy
to note that the suggestion
was accepted and that JKR has
set up a training center in Alor
Gajah, Perak. I firmly believe
that skilled human resource is
a critical factor for the success
of any organisation.
It was reported that the number
of students entering science
stream is getting less in favour
of art. This may impact the
future supply of scientists,
engineers and technologists
that are needed to support the
industry. Any comment from YB?
I am equally concern with
the new trend where the
proportion of students taking
up science subjects has fallen
considerably in favour of art.
This will invariably reduce the
local supply of engineers,
technical professionals and sub-
professionals, technologists
and technicians to support
industries.
This scenario can affect
the investment atmosphere
especially the FDI where human
resource supply is one factor for
choice of setting up industries.
I understand that the Ministry
of Education is addressing
the issue where awareness
programmes and initiatives were
launched to encourage more
students to take up science
subjects.
I earnestly hope that such
imbalance can be rectified
as soon as possible so that
a steady pool of technical
personnel is maintained to
support industries.
What is YBs advice to our local
engineers?
Local engineers and engineering
NGOs should link up with
international organisations
as mobility of engineers is
the key for expansion beyond
our shores. Malaysians are
known for successful overseas
construction projects in Middle
East, India and China. Malaysian
products are also widely exported
all over the world. Such products
include air-conditioners, ceramic
sanitary wares, E&E etc.
I am glad to note some
of the active local NGOs are
holding important posts in
international organisations
such as ASEAN Federation of
Engineering Organisation (AFEO),
ACPE, ASHRAE REAAA etc.
Local engineers can be
entrepreneurs as well in the
exciting engineering fields since
they have the advantage of the
necessary technical knowhow
and the ability to innovate.
I feel that Malaysia, with its
rich natural resources and
human resources should not be
contended with export of natural
resources or components only
but should strive to gain a
bigger piece of the pie along the
supply chain of the products.
What is YBs advice to
engineers in advancing nations
aspiration as an advanced
nation by 2020?
The New World Order looks
at innovation and efficiency
to thrive and survive in the
competitive world. One can no
longer rests on its laurel as in
the past and expect results to
remain as before.
My advice to all engineers
is to strive for innovative
products and cutting edge
technology to stand tall within
the international community.
Malaysia is blessed with
abundance of natural resources
and primary commodities. We
should value add to them through
innovative processing to provide
products that are sought after by
international communities.
The success of these new
ventures will move us closer to
the aspiration of our nation as a
developed nation by 2020.
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E
ffective and efficient development control is
critical to Malaysias urbanization process.
Development control captures several
important dimensions of the construction sector
which is an important economic driver of the
country due to its linkages to the manufacturing
and services sectors. Malaysia Productivity Report
2012/2013 registered a 18.5% growth in the
construction sector which contributed 3.4% to GDP,
to a total of RM 25.3 billion.
Malaysias planning and construction laws
prohibit development without approved planning
permission, building plans and engineering
plans. Prior approvals from the local authorities
which are also the planning authorities must be
obtained before undertaking any development.
Understanding the importance of an effective
and efficient development control process,
the Ministry of Urban Well Being, Housing and
Local Government (MHLG) has embarked on an
e-Submission initiative through the establishment
of One Stop Centre (OSC) Online.
Working towards a transparent, fast and
efficient service delivery system at the local
authorities the Government introduced OSC in
2007 to facilitate the approval processes for 32
types of development proposals applications. The
processes were carried manually subjected to
varied interpretations by the authorities, hence the
different variations in procedures. Understanding
the importance of an effective and efficient,
transparent and uniform development control,
MHLG embarked on the e-Submission initiative
through the establishment of OSC Online.
OSC Online provides an electronic platform
for e-Submissions catering for 32 types of
development proposal applications. This web
based system is basically an extension to the
manual OSC which was introduced April 2007.
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Development Control Via
One Stop Centre Online
By Aminah Abd Rahman,
Director, Local Government Department,
Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing & Local Government
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OSC Online is a platform for e-Submission
and e-Processing using electronic means. The
e-Submission platform is the external, virtual
platform for development proposal applications
to be submitted to the local authorities. The
external platform is supported by the following
features:
e-Enquiring which is the virtual platform for
the public and stakeholders to obtain details
of the requirements of development controls
imposed by local authorities and the relevant
external technical agencies.
e-Complaint provides an online platform for the
public and stakeholders to make complaints
on issues pertaining to services rendered.
e-Guide is an information service platform in
web-enabled Geographic Information System
(GIS) format that allows public and stakeholders
to verify critical planning requirements prior
to formal submission which will improve and
expedite the approval process.
e-Reference is an online reference module
which refers to documents adopted by the local
authorities and external technical agencies
e-Report Card allows the stakeholders,
primarily the private sector, to evaluate and to
provide feedback on the services rendered by
agencies.
e-Payment links to any existing payment
module established at the local authorities to
facilitate payment on any official cost as per
stipulated by law.
On the other hand the e-Processing Platform
which is the internal platform embraces further
standardization and electronic formatting to
facilitate Government backend processes in
making decisions on an application. Because it is
a web-based process, compliance checks by the
agencies are no longer limited to office working
hours but can be accessible 24/7 which further
expedites the approval process.
OSC Online has been established and
launched by all 98 local authorities in Peninsular
Malaysia. Online submission has not yet been
made mandatory by the Government, hence only
25 local authorities have begun to receive and
process development proposal applications online.
There are some teething problems in OSC Online
which MHLG is rectifying through a maintenance
contract with the original vendor.
In line with the countrys aspiration to increase
knowledge content as the country spearheads
towards a developed nation, MHLG will continue to
improve and upgrade OSC Online in tandem with
the advances of the digital era to include Artificial
Intelligence and e-Checks.
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What the Gen Y
Employees Really Want
By Azizah Ali, Director, Small and Medium Solutions and Partners,
Microsoft Malaysia
Generation Y employees come to interviews and online job applications
with a fresh set of expectations and preferences compared to the
workforce of the past. For many young workers, flexible work conditions,
social computing and the freedom to use personal devices at work can
be more important than salary.
I
n todays economy, attracting Generation Y (Gen
Y) employees and keeping them is essential
to businesses that want to maintain their
competitive edge. According to financial services
sector body Asian Institute of Finance (AIF) almost
half of Malaysias workforce
1
falls into the category
of Gen Y, or Millennial Generation.
Gen Y employees place higher value on
their freedom to choose and make use of mobile
technology, access to social media and workplace
flexibility (in terms of mobility) than salary when
evaluating job opportunities. Findings from the Kelly
Global Workforce Index (KGWI) in 2012 displayed
high approval of the personal use of social media
while at work among Malaysian workforce from
Gen Y employees, in comparison to other aging
generations; 56% of Gen Y (aged 19-30)
2
believe it
is acceptable to use social media for personal use
while at work, compared with 48% of Gen X (aged
31-48) and 38% of Baby Boomers (aged 49-66).
And the approval numbers are expected to climb
dramatically as Gen X and Baby Boomers start to
retire in years to come.
While some employers may be alarmed by
such expectations, the good news is that technology
enables greater freedom and flexibility in work than
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ever before. Todays talent pool has grown up in
an environment of ever-present technology: for
Gen Y employees, smart phones, social media
and instant messaging are an essential part of
daily life. Gen Y employees are well adapted to
make effective use of personal technology, social
networking and Internet access in their work-
life balance a phenomenon also known as the
computerization of IT.
The Social Network, Dont Fear It
Rather than restrict Gen Y employees access
to social networks and personal technology,
enterprises can create greater employee motivation
and empowerment by adapting to the new model of
business productivity. A survey by JobStreet.com
in 2013 concluded that over 80% of employers
agreed
3
that social media tools can be used as
an advantage to drive business prospects over
those who dont. Likewise, over 90% of employees
agreed when asked the same question.
In addition, by having a team that is savvy in
the social media space, your business can benefit
from the powerful networking and marketing
potential of this new medium.
Social marketing plans can start from
your companys own representatives in social
networks. The benefits also extend to training
and development; senior employees can more
effectively mentor Gen Y employees through
social media, passing on management skills and
leadership skills.
Workplace Flexibility and Mobile Freedom
The key to attracting and retaining Gen Y employees
who want more mobile and flexible working
conditions is to empower them with technology
that takes the computerization of IT into account.
With Gen Y employees who can support
customer needs outside of normal office hours,
your business can respond to changing market
conditions with greater agility. Similarly, if your IT
systems can take advantage of todays powerful
mobile devices and support remote working, you
can transition to a remote office concept in which
each employee can potentially save hours each
day that would have been spent on commuting
and crawling through traffic jams. Flexible
working hours also make it easier to execute an
employee development plan, since development
opportunities can be scheduled at any convenient
time.
Productivity solutions such as Microsoft
Office 365 can enable small enterprises to equip
Gen Y employees with email, document handling,
contacts and calendar applications which they
can use virtually anywhere, and on any device.
Teams can make use of familiar applications
without additional employee training. Employees
can access and view documents even on mobile
devices such as smart phones. Office 365 also
provides business-class security so that Gen Y
employees can securely connect and collaborate
whether they work from home, the office or the
field.
Its a brave new world of knowledge workers,
with skills and expectations that will change
the way business is done. The small or medium
business that can leverage the new model of
business productivity will be the first to realize the
full potential of Gen Y workers.
REFERENCES
1 Computer World Malaysia, "Almost half of
Malaysia's workforce is Gen Y, says Asian Institute
of Finance," (2013). http://bit.ly/O8xbAh
2 Kelly Services, When Worlds Collide - The Rise of
Social Media for Professional and Personal Use,
Kelly Services (2012). http://bit.ly/1huxceB - The
Kelly Global Workforce Index is an annual survey
revealing opinions about work and the workplace.
More than 168,000 people across the Americas,
EMEA and APAC regions responded to the 2012
survey. This survey was conducted online by RDA
Group on behalf of Kelly Services.
3 JobStreet, Social Media Platforms Give
Companies a Competitive Advantage, JobStreet.
com (2013). http://bit.ly/1jFYA6u - A total of
394 employers and 379 employees, of which
58 percent are senior-level executives, took part
in the JobStreet.com survey in March 2013,
to determine the impact of social media in the
workplace.
61
T
he global economy remains
fragile, but Information
Technology (IT) is a rapidly
growing field that keeps adding
layers of new opportunity.
Cloud computing, for example,
is starting to mature, and
mobility is adding another level
of complexity to IT systems and
management, which will continue
to grow as users move away from
desktop computers to laptops,
tablets and smart phones.
These days, IT touches
everything, from housing
to hospitals, economics to
engineering, transportation
to education. Companies are
beginning to recognize the
importance IT plays in day-
to-day business and, as they
JOB OPPORTUNITIES &
QUALIFIED IT EMPLOYEES
By Dennis Kwok, Vice President, Asia Pacific-CompTIA,
The Computing Technology Industry Association
As job opportunities open up in the IT industry, globally
recognized and vendor-neutral certifications of IT and
related degrees will be useful. Such certifications help
train and identify qualified, knowledgeable employees and
match them with employers who have job vacancies.
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plan for the future, a strong IT
component is essential to any
forward thinking strategy.
According to International
Data Corp (IDC), global IT
spending on hardware, software
and IT services reached US$2
trillion in 2013 alone, while ICT
spending, including telecom
services, increased by 4.8 % to
US$3.6 trillion.
In an even more impressive
estimate, IDC charts the IT
industry on a path to US$5
trillion by the year 2020.
While countries like the
U.S. and UK are ahead of the
game, IT market proportions
have gradually shifted due to the
emergence of rapidly growing
markets in Asia, Latin America,
Africa and Eastern Europe.
Asia accounted for 29% of total
worldwide IT revenue in 2013.
Malaysia, for example,
is a strong IT market. The
coastal nations long history of
technology advancement and
investment was aided in part by
the establishment of Multimedia
Super Corridor (MSC), a special
economic zone in Malaysia,
which put the country on the path
to a knowledge-based society.
Government, business and
educational entities in Malaysia
continuously invest in new
technology to stay competitive.
A Wide Open Employment Field
According to global marketing
research reports provided to
1,254 international businesses
and IT executives, and the
2013 International Technology
Adoption and Workforce
Issues report published by
Computing Technology Industry
Association (CompTIA), the top
10 rated IT skills in terms of
importance to business globally
are Networks/Infrastructure,
D a t a b a s e / I n f o r ma t i o n
management, Server/Data
Centre Management, Storage/
Data Backup, Help Desk/
IT Support, Data Analytics/
Business Intelligence, Printers/
Multifunction Devices, Security/
Cyber security, Customer
Relationship Management (CRM)
and Web Design/Development.
IT occupations are
currently on the rise but jobs
arent limited just to technical
occupations. There are positions
on the periphery, such as IT
project managers or knowledge
workers, plus non-technical jobs
in sales, marketing, HR, finance
and operations.
IT also branches into
plenty of other industries, such
as health care, engineering and
education. The IT department
within a hospital, for example,
can employ a range of senior,
mid-level and staff-level IT
positions to ensure physicians,
nurses and administrators have
reliable access to computers,
networks and applications.
IT continues to rank high
on corporate priority lists. 40%
of surveyed companies plan
to increase their IT staff. In
Japan, for example, 15% of the
companies surveyed said theyd
planned for additional IT staff
in their 2013 hiring plans. In
63
Thailand, 48% of companies
planned to add additional IT
staff.
Dearth of Qualified Applicants
Businesses adding IT staff say
theyre struggling to find qualified
job candidates. According to
CompTIA research, a whopping
58% said theyre concerned
about IT employee quality and
quantity .
One solution to address
the expanding global IT workforce
gap is to introduce international
standard, vendor neutral and
globally recognized certification
programs. Such certifications
helps train and identify qualified,
knowledgeable employees and
match them with employers who
have job vacancies.
Certifying the IT workforce
can help employers make hiring
decisions. When someone has
proper credentials or certification
on his or her resume, it brings
them to the notice of hiring
managers. Its also positive for
the workforce. Professionals who
improve their skills, and then are
able to prove their knowledge
through certifications, can grow
their careers.
For those trying to get
a foot in the door of this ever-
growing industry, certifications
can be the key to landing a job
or getting a promotion. Lakhmi
Chand Ahuja, an engineer in an
IT firm in Gujarat, India, used
his certifications to leapfrog to
an IT job at Best Buy in Canada
when he migrated to Canada
from India. His CompTIA A+
credential is transportable from
one country to another and is
being recognized globally.
I would rate CompTIA A+
higher than many other vendor
certifications, as this certification
tests knowledge in all fields of
information technology and not
on one particular domain, he
said. It is a gate pass for your
first job.
According to CompTIAs
Employer Perceptions of IT
Training and Certification
study, its not just employees
who benefit. Businesses often
see an uptick in productivity
when their staff is certified
and therefore better able to
understand new technologies.
CompTIA surveyed 804 IT
hiring managers in the U.S.,
who said certified employees
are often more insightful in
problem solving and have
better project management and
communication skills.
Ricoh Singapore is a
company that has twice used
certifications to enhance the
skill-set of its staff. It realized
back in 2009 that an investment
like this translates to better
service for its customer base.
We needed a consistent
and objective way to evaluate
our competencies, said Bruce
Murphy, Ricoh Singapores
strategic marketing manager.
The company first used CompTIA
certifications to enhance its
global brand in office automation
equipment, and two years later
sought out another certification
in project management. The
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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rigorous certification process of
CompTIA CDIA+ has provided us
with that benchmark by requiring
demonstrated competence
in document management,
Murphy said.
The CompTIA certification
programme brought us back
to proper guidelines of how
document management so-
lutions should be planned and
deployed, said Lawrence Chua,
a senior manager with the group,
whose time with Ricoh dates
back seven years.
Based on CompTIAs
market research and feedback
from its members, one of
Malaysias areas of improvement
is project management.
Companies have failed, lost
money or missed out on bringing
products to market due to a lack
of project management skills.
Certifications like CompTIAs
Project+ address those issues
and help business improve.
A Rise in International
Standard, Vendor Neutral
and Globally Recognized
Certifications
As technology evolves at a rapid
pace, certifications are likely
to become more important.
According to CompTIAs 2013
Tech Adoption Study, 67%
of global executives believe
IT certifications will increase
in importance over the next
two years. In Japan, 58% of
businesses surveyed expect the
importance of IT certification to
increase over the next two years.
In India, 81% of businesses
agree, and in Thailand, its 84%.
Clearly, those hiring will be looking
for resumes with certifications
to set job applicants apart.
Working toward a highly
competitive economic region
with a fully integrated global
community by 2015, the
Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Economic
Community is building areas
of co-operation among its 10
countries: Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, Brunei, Burma
(Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos
and Vietnam. In addition to
enhancing infrastructure,
communications and regional
sourcing, the initiative is working
toward a region with free
movement of goods, services,
investment, skilled labour and a
freer flow of capital. If all goes
as planned, the job market will
open up. An IT professional in
the Philippines, for example,
might be able to transfer his
skills to a job in Malaysia or
Laos without the restriction of a
work visa. As such opportunities
open up, globally recognized and
vendor-neutral certifications will
be even more valuable.
CompTIA in Malaysia
CompTIA certification is a part
of the Program Pentauliahan
Professional (3P) that certifies
individuals with information
technology and other related
degrees through a partnership
between the Prestariang Group
and the Malaysian Ministry
of Education. To date, the
programme has trained and
certified more than 30,000
Malaysian students.
As Malaysias IT industry
grows, CompTIA will continue to
provide international standard,
vendor-neutral and globally
recognized IT skills certification
and skills development
programmes through partnership
with local Government
organisations, enterprises and
academies. CompTIA skills
certification programme is
endorsed, approved and funded
by the Multimedia Development
Corporation (MDeC). CompTIA
will also provide Malaysia with
the latest global IT industry
market research and trends
reports.
Beban kewangan Bulanan
Dapatkan Khidmat
Nasihat Mengenai:
Pilihlah dengan bijak.
Dapatkan lebih penjimatan
dengan bayaran bulanan
yang rendah.
Nikmati KADAR pembiayaan yang RENDAH
Pembiayaan maksima sehingga RM200,000
(bagi pembiayaan melebihi RM150,000, pemohon mestilah berpendapatan
RM120,000 setahun)
Tidak perlu menjelaskan pembiayaan
dengan bank lain untuk menikmati
KADAR ISTIMEWA kami
Pembiayaan Peribadi-i
P
F

0
0
1
* Khas untuk pembiayaan melalui potongan gaji atau pindahan gaji ke akaun Bank Islam dari majikan
yang terpilih dan kadar adalah sah pada masa iklan ini dicetak. Tertakluk kepada terma dan syarat.
KPA - Kadar Pembiayaan Asas
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
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I
CT convergence and fast
technical obsolescence
pose keen challenges to the
Malaysian Communications
and Multimedia Corporation
(MCMC). The Commission has
a mammoth task as it plays
the dual role of regulation and
development of many sectors,
namely mobile services,
broadband and internet,
broadcasting, fixed services,
digital certification and even
postal and courier. Its regulatory
framework falls under the
ambit of the Communications
& Multimedia Act 1998 and
includes economic regulation,
technical regulation, consumer
protection and social regulation
(see Sidebar 1). Other legislation
includes the 2012 Postal
Services Act, Strategic Trade Act
2010 and the Digital Signature
Act 1997. Correlated is its role in
helping the Government achieve
ten National Policy Objectives
(see Sidebar 2) in relation to
communications and multimedia
development. Amongst these is
to establish Malaysia as a major
global hub for communications
and multimedia information and
content services.
It cannot be disputed
that the countrys networked
communication infrastructure
and penetration rate have
grown by leaps and bounds
in the last 10 years. In 2012,
Malaysias mobile phone
penetration has reached
142.5 per 100 inhabitants.
According to MCMC statistics,
this places the country ahead
of Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia,
South Korea, Japan, USA and
China. Broadband penetration
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
SHAPING A
CONNECTED FUTURE
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deftly balances its dual
role of regulation and development of the many sectors in the ICT industry. Under its purview,
Malaysians now enjoy fast evolving network communication services with 18 million 3G mobile
phone subscriptions and 3.8 million wireless broadband subscriptions. MCMC sees the need for
more specialised engineers in this field and more local content for future development.
67
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
has widened to 22.6 per 100
inhabitants. Looking at the
industry players, there has been
massive capital expenditure in
the telecommunications sector,
reaching RM9 billion in 2012.
As at end of 2013, there were
916 service providers licensed
by MCMC.
Chairman of MCMC, Dato
Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, in
an interview with the Board of
Engineers Malaysia, notes that
MCMC has to delicately balance
its role as a regulator and
developmental agency, taking
into consideration the different
needs of licensed Service
Providers, consumers and the
Government. We regulate for
the purpose of development,
using regulations as tools of the
trade, he explains. He is of the
view that overall service levels
have improved and consumer
complaints have increased
because there are more
consumers. According to MCMC
statistics, there were 18 million
3G mobile phone subscriptions
and 3.8 million wireless
broadband subscriptions in
2013.
perkhidmatan yang mencukupi.
Billing charges plus poor
mobile phone service were noted
as the top consumer complaints
in the Consumer Forum
Malaysia (CFM) 2012 Report.
The Consumer Forum (under
MCMCs supervision) mediates
complaints between consumers
and Service Providers of fixed,
mobile, Internet, broadcast TV
and radio services. Before CFM
Dato Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Chairman of MCMC.
becomes involved in a complaint
about a Service Provider, the
Service Providers are first given
the opportunity to sort the
dispute out.
(See Complaints Statistics
on page 69)
Responding to rising
complaints, MCMC issued
a stern warning to cellular
phone companies and three
major telcos were served with
fines totalling RM190,000 on
complaints about dropped calls.
Dato Sharil acknowledges that
the level of service has improved
since then but adds that there is
room for improvement.
Dato Sharil emphasizes
the importance of engineers,
notably electrical and electronic
engineers in building the network
communications infrastructure,
ensuring compliance and safety,
and maintenance. They are most
exportable, he says, referring
to the demand for engineers
to build cellular towers all over
the world. Engineers constitute
Various engineers at work in the communications field
69

CFM Annual Report 2012
Service Provider Complaints Statstcs for 2012

0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

C
o
m
p
l
a
i
n
t
s

Others
Telecommunicaton Tower/
Equipment
Miscellaneous
Dispute on T&C
Unfair Practce
No Coverage
Misleading Promoton
Poor Coverage
SMS
Poor Service
Biling & Charging
Billing & Charging
Poor Service
SMS
Poor Coverage
Misleading Promoton
498
381
104
64
62
1191
1045
408
268
249
TOP 5 COMPLAINT CATEGORY : 2011 vs 2012
2012 2011
1191
1045
408
268 249
117 118 126
70 27
12
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2012 COMPLAINTS STATISTICS

CFM Annual Report 2012
Service Provider Complaints Statstcs for 2012

0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
N
u
m
b
e
r

o
f

C
o
m
p
l
a
i
n
t
s

Others
Telecommunicaton Tower/
Equipment
Miscellaneous
Dispute on T&C
Unfair Practce
No Coverage
Misleading Promoton
Poor Coverage
SMS
Poor Service
Biling & Charging
Billing & Charging
Poor Service
SMS
Poor Coverage
Misleading Promoton
498
381
104
64
62
1191
1045
408
268
249
TOP 5 COMPLAINT CATEGORY : 2011 vs 2012
2012 2011
1191
1045
408
268 249
117 118 126
70 27
12
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2012 COMPLAINTS STATISTICS

Most notable is the extension
of telephony and broadband
services to rural Malaysia under
the Universal Service Provision
(USP). With USP, licensed
Service Providers contribute to
a Universal Service Provision
Fund, established under Section
24 of the Communications and
Multimedia Act 1998. Money
from this fund is designated
for implementation of network
facilities, services and
applications in underserved
services. In 2012, this Fund
stood at RM1.445 billion
and disbursements went into
projects such as Kampung
Tanpa Wayar or wireless
villages where wireless internet
access is provided to remove
village communities. A total of
4,679 wireless villages were
in operation nationwide as end
2013. Other USP projects
include 1 Malaysia Internet
Centre, 1 Malaysia Netbook and
Community Broadband Library.
Looking at future
challenges, Dato Sharil believes
hardware is not much of a
problem. We can buy, build and
maintain, he explains, referring
to infrastructure development.
He sees development of human
capital, notably more specialised
engineers as critical. We need
a different set of engineers
imaging engineers, sound
engineers, network engineers,
video engineers. The other
challenge would be the push for
local content as consumers now
are exposed to mainly foreign
content. Our communications
network is up and running but
the environment is never static
and there is always room for
improvement, he concludes.
Inforeach
one-third of the 650 staff at
MCMC. He notes that upgrading
and retraining of engineers are
important, and new skillsets
like spectrum engineering
and satellite communication
engineering are needed.
On the communications
and multimedia industry growth,
Dato Sharil notes that private
sector investment continues
unabated, moving up from a high
base. We have 97% cellular
coverage in populated areas and
85% coverage for broadband.
Every incremental 1 % increase
requires a lot of work and
investment he explains. In the
next three years, he reveals that
1,000 cellular towers will be put
up to increase the coverage from
97% to 98%. In addition, 4G
high-speed mobile broadband
Internet are rolling out this year.
Private-public partnerships
is also on-going in the country.
Source: Consumer Forum Report 2012
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
SIDEBAR 1
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR
MCMC
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
(MCMC) is charged with overseeing the regulatory framework
for the converging industries of telecommunications,
broadcasting and on-line activities.
Economic regulation
Includes the promotion of competition and prohibition
of anti-competitive conduct, as well as the development
and enforcement of access codes and standards. It also
includes licensing, enforcement of license conditions for
network and application providers and ensuring compliance
to rules and performance/service quality.
Technical regulation
Includes efficient frequency spectrum assignment, the
development and enforcement of technical codes and
standards, and the administration of numbering and
electronic addressing.
Consumer protection
Emphasises the empowerment of consumers while at the
same time ensures adequate protection measures in areas
such as dispute resolution, affordability and availability of
services.
Social regulation
Includes the twin areas of content development as well
as content regulation; the latter includes the prohibition of
offensive content as well as public education on content-
related issues
Postal regulation
Includes safeguard the provision postal service and
promote competition in the postal and courier market.
Certification Authority regulation
Includes control of the Certification Authoritys operation
through licensing and audit mechanism to ensure its
trustworthiness.
10 NATIONAL
POLICY OBJECTIVES
FOR THE
COMMUNICATIONS
& MULTIMEDIA
INDUSRY
1. Establish Malaysia as a
major global centre and hub
for communications and
multimedia information and
content services
2. Promote a civil society
where information-based
services will provide
the basis of continuing
enhancements to quality of
work and life
3. Grow and nurture local
information resources and
cultural representation
that facilitate the national
identity and global diversity;
4. Regulate for the long-term
benefit of the end user;
5. Promote a high level of
consumer confidence in
service delivery from the
industry;
6. Ensure an equitable
provision of affordable
services over ubiquitous
national infrastructure;
7. Create a robust applications
environment for end users;
8. Facilitate the efficient
allocation of resources such
as skilled labour, capital,
knowledge and national
assets;
9. Promote the development of
capabilities and skills within
Malaysias convergence
industries; and
10. Ensure information security
and network reliability and
integrity
SIDEBAR 2
71
W
ith the advent of Internet technology,
Malaysia like many other countries in
the world made its explicit entry into the
information age beginning with its Jaring Internet
services in 1992 (Azzman, 2000, Ramachandran,
2008). Since then, it has been more than two
decades that Malaysia has formulated and
implemented a number of policies, strategies and
programmes to harness the opportunities for ICT
development in the country. However, it must be
noted that development of ICT has been an age
old initiative in Malaysia. It all started in the mid-
1960s when manually managed information
systems were computerized using old mainframe
systems (Alhabshi, 2002). Subsequently, the
introduction of the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Act of
1971 encouraged foreign direct investment (FDI),
paving the way for the ICT manufacturing sector to
gain a foothold in Malaysia (Rasiah, 2009; PIKOM,
2009). In essence, the country has not only been
an avid user of ICT, but has also been a strong
producer of ICT products and services over the
past four decades.
Strategically, as shown in Figure 1, the First
Outline Perspective Plan (OPP1: 1971- 1990) -
being the first long term plan - provided the requisite
impetus for developing an agro-industry based
economy from a laissez-faire economy that was
dominant after the nation gained its independence.
This was followed by OPP2:1991-2000, which
provided direction for an industry-based economy.
Subsequently, with the dawn of the new century, the
OPP3:2001-2010 has set the pace for Knowledge
Based Economy (KBE). During OPP 1 and OPP 2,
the Microelectronics Sector played a crucial role in
industrializing the economy. However, during OPP3,
the tide changed to contemporary ICT or Internet
technology. This provided online and real time
connectivity and interactivity in conjunction with
the convergence of technology, content, people,
THE ROLE OF ICT IN
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
By R Ramachandran, Head of Research
PIKOM, The National ICT Association of Malaysia
The Information Communication Technology Service (ICTS) segment is
poised to reach the mark of RM67.99 billion in 2014, registering an
annual growth rate of 12.4%. In tandem, the share of ICTS in the national
Gross Domestic Product is expected to increase from 3.3% to 6.4%,
almost double over the period 2000-2014.
Figure 1
F
E
A
T
U
R
E
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
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process and systems and was recognized as the
major driver of the KBE (OPP3, 2001). In essence,
the OPP 1 and OPP 2 policy strategies have helped
to shift the export structure systematically from
low-paying natural resources to high value-added
manufactured goods and services. While in OPP3,
with ICT as a major thrust, is poised to create
new wealth through endogenous economic growth
(EPU, 2001).
As depicted in Figure 1, each long term
plan was driven through the Five Year Malaysia
Plans, which had their own development thrust,
in particular growth with equity (1971-1990)
followed by balanced development (1991-
2000) and building a resilient and competitive
nation. Notably, the past policy and development
thrusts were FDI centric, while the current New
Economic Model (NEM) and Tenth Malaysia Plan
(2010-2015) emphasize endogenous growth by
promulgating an innovation based economy and
leveraging on DDI as well as innovation and R&D
initiatives that have commercial elements. The
new development strategy is aimed at lifting the
nation out of its middle-income trap identified
in the NEM formulation (NEAC, 2010). In this
regard, as outlined in Figure 2, contemporary ICT,
specifically ICT led innovation, is poised to play a
significant role in moving the nation towards a high
value-added economy and gross national income
(GNI) (PIKOM, 2010).
In essence, Malaysias industrialization
efforts through ICT manufacturing have successfully
reduced the overdependence on agriculture or
resource based sectors. Specifically, the economic
contribution of the agricultural sector was 45.7% in
1960 but it experienced a significant reduction to
29% in 1970 and was subsequently reduced to 8%
by 2000. In parallel, the manufacturing sector grew
significantly, more than threefold over the same
period, from 9.8% in 1960 to 13.9% in 1970 and
32.3% by 2000. The services sector also grew but
at a slower pace, from 32.7% in 1960 to 52.4% in
2000 and poised to rise to 70% by 2020 when the
nation is deemed to attain a fully developed nation
status. In this regard, the ICT services sector has
been regarded as one of the key components of
the next engine of growth.
CONTRIBUTION OF ICT SECTOR TO GDP
By the definition stipulated in the Malaysian
Standard Industrial Classifications 2000
(MSIC, 2000) the traditional ICT comprised ICT
Manufacturing (ICT production) and ICT Services
components (Computer and Telecommunications
sub-sectors). Since its inception in early seventies,
the structure of ICT Sector in Malaysia has
undergone great upheavals. As per this definition
in particular, share of ICT production component
has drastically dropped from 74.3% in the year
2000 to 50% in 2010; in tandem the share of
ICT Services components has gained a stronger
footing in the economy by registering increase in
its share from 25.7% to 50% over the period, as
depicted in Figure 3. Driven by the labour intensive
investment strategies in the 1970s, followed by
capital intensive investment emphases in the
1980s, the ICT Sector especially the production
component dominated by the Semiconductor
Devices and Electronic Valves grew significantly.
It is clear that in the preceding century, the
country was overtly reliant on the ICT sector as
one of the major sources of revenue. However,
since the beginning of the new millennium, the
production component has lost its competitive
edge and comparative advantages. As indicated in
many research studies, the structural shift in the
Malaysian electronics sector, among many other
reasons, was due to the impact of newly liberalized
economies in Asia, mainly China, India and
Vietnam which can offer relatively cheap labour
Figure 2
73
and low wages. As a result of global competition,
the ICT sector experienced restructuring, cut-backs
and relocation of establishments.
Beginning 2010, the MSIC 2008 - which
is based on International Standard Industrial
Classifications (ISIC Rev.4) of the United Nations
Statistical Division (UNSD) - has replaced the MSIC
2000 with inclusion of new items under codes 58,
59, 60 and 63, as shown in Figure 4.
As shown in Figure 4, the ICT Services (ICTS)
sub-sector has been undergoing rapid expansion in
recent years due to increasing investments, exports
and imports of ICT services and economic activities
pertaining to telecommunications, IT computing,
hardware and software consultancy, maintenance
and repair services, content and broadcasting
activities, publishing activities particularly online
publishing and information activities. It can be
Figure 3
Figure 4
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
Figure 5
Table 1
seen that the ICTS segment grew at a Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.4% by increasing
its value added services from RM11.77 billion in
2000 to RM59.83 billion in 2013 (see Table 1).
The ICTS segment is poised to reach the mark of
RM67.99 billion in 2014 by registering another
annual growth rate of 12.4%. In tandem, the share
of ICTS in the national Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) is expected to increase from 3.3% to 6.4%,
almost double over the period of 2000-2014. The
new additional segments constituted about 21.3%
of the total ICTS sector contribution in terms of
value added services.
Public Policy Thrust
It can be also seen in the Table 1 that new
Year
ICTS Value
Added
Services ('000)
Share of
ICTS to
Overall
GDP (%)
Telecommunication
Services ('000)
Computer
Services
('000)
Sub-total
Publishing
('000)
Motion picture,
video and
television
programme
('000)
Programming
&
Broadcasting
('000)
Information
Services
('000)
Sub-total
2000 11,771,057 3.3 10,335,256 868,758 11,204,014 193,273 373,770 567,043
2001 12,744,792 3.6 10,815,979 1,257,657 12,073,636 269,319 401,837 671,156
2002 14,652,306 3.8 12,261,462 1,412,888 13,674,350 254,765 723,191 977,956
2003 14,992,154 3.6 12,368,517 1,916,304 14,284,821 255,963 451,370 707,333
2004 16,087,422 3.4 12,773,701 2,056,348 14,830,049 356,714 900,659 1,257,373
2005 20,187,921 3.9 16,352,349 2,718,059 19,070,408 387,730 729,783 1,117,513
2006 23,858,012 4.2 19,252,783 3,125,191 22,377,974 419,412 1,060,626 1,480,038
2007 25,036,393 3.9 19,532,436 3,772,887 23,305,323 427,088 1,303,982 1,731,070
2008 30,090,354 3.9 22,655,972 5,168,116 27,824,088 447,618 1,818,648 2,266,266
2009 31,999,469 4.5 22,912,378 6,496,356 29,408,734 271,688 1,483,674 1,839,604 3,594,966
2010 42,095,951 5.3 27,106,855 9,363,020 36,469,875 503,080 1,056,006 1,565,327 2,001,388 5,125,801
2011 45,259,877 5.1 29,778,845 9,945,621 39,724,466 590,079 1,065,823 1,690,288 2,189,221 5,535,411
2012 52,430,520 5.6 33,166,728 11,862,431 45,029,159 719,835 1,405,592 2,150,865 3,125,069 7,401,361
2013 59,835,527 6.1 36,386,010 12,774,925 49,160,935 1,038,179 2,027,211 3,102,079 4,507,122 10,674,591
2014 67,991,747 6.4 39,810,610 13,687,420 53,498,030 1,409,616 2,752,501 4,211,933 6,119,667 14,493,717
Projected Sub-
Sector Share (%)
in 2014 100.0 58.6 20.1 78.7 2.1 4.0 6.2 9.0 21.3
CAGR (%) : 2000-
2014 12.4 9.4 20.2 11.0 31.6 21.1 22.8 20.5 24.1
Distribution of ICT Services by Sub-sectors, 2000-2014
Source: Department of Statistics and Economic Planning Unit, various publications; and Projections for 2013 and 2014 by PIKOM
75
segments are registering significant growth over
the past five year period attributing to dynamic
growth in digital services in various forms
and shades. Specifically, the ICT sector, in its
contemporary form, has evolved to be more than a
mere collection of technological tools. As a socio-
economic enabler and key driver of businesses,
ICT is poised to increases the process efficiency
and product and services delivery effectiveness.
ICTs ubiquity and pervasive features and
characteristics are continually impacting the way
one works, plays and learns. In the early stages
of information age, such changes were succinctly
harnessed through the MSC Malaysia initiative
that saw its introduction in the mid-nineties.
Having gone through two decades of new age
experiences and exposures, viewing from a public
policy perspective, the country is migrating into its
next phase of inflection point by creating a digital
innovation economy through the Digital Malaysia
Programme (DMP). Indeed, the ICT Road Map Blue
Print 2012 (revised version of ICT Road Map 2008)
as shown in Figure 5 the Governments focus
areas include e-services, ubiquitous connectivity,
security platforms, wireless intelligence, big data
analytics and cloud computing especially directed
at research, innovation, intellectual property rights
patenting and commercialization.
Industry Thrust
As surmised by Gartner in Figure 6, the convergence
and reinforcement of mobile, cloud, information
and social creates a plethora of opportunities in
the ICT technology itself and the user segments
entail provision of services like education, health,
logistics, communications, engineering, etc. The
industry pundits are projecting at least four key
trends changing the way in which a company works,
Figure 6
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
which in turn attributes to economic growth. The
four key trends are:
1. Big data analytics, which is deployed in
variety of industries to serve customers better
through culling out insights and predictions
that the data can generate. The process
can help to improve the profitability of the
company by assessing credit worthiness,
risk analysis and/or data supported decision
making processes;
2. Cloud computing, which is one of the fastest
growing technological advances, helps
companies to structure, organise and store
large amounts of data without investing
heavily in hardware and software tools. More
importantly, company employees always
remain connected with the help of smart
phones and tablets. With such a work culture,
people need not be in the office to complete
their tasks; they can do their work from the
train or bus on their daily commute, besides
tele-working from home;
3. Mobile device usage, particularly smart
phones and tablets, make customers and
clients more mobile and also provides
access to companies websites, applications
and records wherever they happen to be;
4. Social media, an offspring of the Internet
age. This new age media, though seen as
a disruptive and unproductive activity when
staff unnecessarily waste time, can be a
powerful tool for customer engagement,
relationship building, networking, information
sharing, and soliciting feedback, as well as
branding products and services.
In Malaysia, intensification of ICT usage is
proliferating through on-going capital intensive
economic transformation programmes and mega-
projects that have been stimulating domestic
demand for ICT Services. To name a few, the
ICT intensive big projects include My Rapid
Transit (MRT) linking Kajang and Sg. Buluh,
Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated
Figure 7
77
Figure 9
Figure 8
Source: Jobstreet.com and PIKOM, 2014
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
Development (RAPID) project in Pengerang, Tun
Razak Exchange, River of Life, Bandar Malaysia
at Sungei Besi as well as the various economic
corridors Iskandar Malaysia, Northern Corridor
Economic Region (NCER), East Coast Economic
Region (ECER), Sabah Development Corridor
(SDC) and Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy
(SCORE).
ICT EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK AND PERCEPTION
From a total of 227 JobStreet.com clients,
managers and senior managers across various
industries in Malaysia, it was gathered that the
overall ICT employment still remains high, despite
fluctuations in the economy as shown in the
JobStreet.com Confidence Index (JECI) in Figure
7. JECI ranges from zero (very poor) to 100 (very
good) where a low index shows a tough job market
situation where employment seekers find it difficult
to get a job and high index indicates a comfortable
job market, where people are able to secure a
good job easily.
Similarly, the average monthly salary of
an ICT professional in Malaysia in 2013 was
RM7,152; see in Figure 8. This represents an
increase of 7.2% from RM6,673 in 2012. This
increase was well above the average inflation rate
of 3.2% in 2013, indicating a comfortable living for
ICT professionals in Malaysia. Given the optimistic
outlook of the economy and other positive factors
within the ICT industry, PIKOM anticipates an 8.7%
rise in the average salary of ICT professionals in
2014, to a figure no less than RM7,776 per month.
The Figure 9 shows a comparative analysis
of the remuneration earned by ICT professionals
in selected Asian and English speaking countries.
Here, average remuneration earned by each
country is compared against Malaysia, giving rise
to a scaling factor that is free from bias caused by
foreign exchange fluctuation. For the purpose of
this benchmarking exercise, Malaysia assumes a
scaling factor of one. The median data published
by PayScale for the year 2013 was used. Such
benchmarking statistics indicate the challenge
that Malaysia face with regard to local ICT talent
migration and retention, which accentuating with
increasing globalization and market liberalization
policies and phenomenon.
With purchasing power parity (PPP)
adjustment, which takes into account for inflation
and foreign exchange rates as well as standard
of living, the result showed that Viet Nam, Hong
Kong, China, Singapore and Thailand in Asia paying
higher salaries for ICT professionals than their
counterparts in Malaysia.
Malaysians are also typically known to
search of better opportunities beyond the shores
of Asia. The distant lands that become attractive
destinations for Malaysians are mostly English
speaking countries, in particular United States
of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia
and New Zealand. Despite the distance, these
countries have long diplomatic and trade ties with
Malaysia. Moreover, English is a popular lingua
franca among Malaysian businesses especially
among the private sector and there has been
always a natural attraction for Malaysians to do
more businesses with such English speaking
countries. These destinations are no exceptions
for ICT professionals as well, especially software
developers and networking engineers who are in
demand at all times globally. Thus, in the English
speaking world, United States, New Zealand,
Australia, United Kingdom and Canada are still
attractive for Malaysian ICT professionals, despite
being distant nations.
ICT Industry Challenges
Despite growing dynamism, the nations ICT sector
continues to face several persistent challenges.
However, the critical challenge lies in the provision
of ICT human capital, which can be seen through
supply and demand side lens, as follows:-
Supply of ICT Graduates: In the recent past, ICT
courses enrolment in both public and private
institutions has stagnated. As reported in the ICT
Human Capital Development Framework 2012
during the 1990s up to the year 2001, there has
been a high number of graduates in ICT. This was
attributed to, first Governments policy emphasizing
ICT as driver and enabler of knowledge economy and
society in mid nineties; second, the launch of MSC
Malaysia and its Flagship Applications in 1996;
and third, the liberalisation of the higher education
sector whereby many universities, especially by the
private sector, were established and the majority of
them offered various types of ICT degree or diploma
programs. However, 2002 marked the beginning
of drastic fall in enrolments and graduates in ICT.
79
As the statistics from the Ministry of Education
revealed that there were over 119,000 students
enrolled in ICT courses in 2002, with a production
of over 53,000 graduates. However, by 2012 both
figures fell drastically 80,000 students and 19,500
graduates respectively. A number of factors have
been cited for the decline in the supply of ICT
graduates as follows:-
a. Perception that ICT is not a promising
industry especially the disillusionment
arising from dotcom bubble burst in 2000
and since then prospective students have
been gravitated to other emerging courses
especially health-related studies that
Government also strongly promulgated;
b. Widespread impression among the students
that ICT courses require extra ordinary skill
in mathematics, which is indeed only true
in the case of computing and engineering
sciences, and not other ICT disciplines that
emphasizes innovation and creativity skills;
c. Lack of timely knowledge about ICT trends,
opportunities and career prospects among
school teachers and counsellors are also
playing a significant role in dampening
students motivation; and
d. Unlike medicine, engineering, architecture,
legal and accountancy, the ICT sector lacks
professional recognition and prestige, which
forces students to opt for other lucrative
courses;
Demand for ICT Graduates: From the demand
side, the human talent issues plaguing both ICT
producers and user industries can be surmised as
follows:-
a. Quality, competency and employability of ICT
graduates in meeting the industrys demands
continue to remain a critical issue. According
to PIKOM past findings only 10% of the new
entrants to workforce is directly employable,
while others need to be trained before
placing in proper routines. Companies,
especially the smaller ones, are not willing
to mobilize their scarce resources in training
or coaching or mentoring activities in fear
of rampant job hopping behaviour among
new recruits especially in the current tight
job employment scenario in Malaysia. Low
remuneration, especially in comparison to
regional countries, also attributes to rampant
job-hopping for better terms of employment
not only within the country but also regional
migration.
b. As Gartner highlighted, declining interest
among young people in ICT jobs that demand
long working hours continue to plague the
growth of the ICT industry. Indeed, this is a
global phenomenon. However, initiatives by
TalentCorp, which was established in January
2011, help to redress some of the talent gaps
in the ICT sector. The initiatives are carried
out via three strategic thrusts: optimize
Malaysian talent, attract and facilitate global
talent and build networks of top talent. Being
new, the fruition of these endeavors is yet to
be realized.
c. The ICT industry, including its workforce,
generally lacks the interest in attaining global
standards and competencies in process
and quality improvement activities. PIKOMs
internal investigation revealed that only 6%
of Malaysian Information Communications
Technology Service (ICTS) providers have
attained Capability Maturity Model Integration
(CMMI) certifications and less than 1.5% are
equipped with the People Capability Maturity
Model (PCMM) certification. The numbers
were further disheartening upon realizing
that less than 2% of PIKOM members in the
ICTS segment have employees certified with
Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma accreditations.
Green ICT Certifications have yet to gain
foothold in the Malaysian ICTS landscape.
These certifications are critical for globalising
Malaysian ICT products and services, or
to solicit ICT contracts from developed
economies like USA;
d. Public and private universities and industries
are still behind in creating globally-
recognized ICT products and services due
to the lack of a strong R&D and patenting
culture. Despite the long established
presence of some multinationals, the
country still has weak links in the global
R&D and innovation network. This is due to
difficulties in getting the right candidates to
embark on high value adding ICT activities
that the Government is passionate about
over the past two decades.
6 VOL 55 JUNE 2013
INGENIEUR
Shaikys View
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INGENIEUR

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