PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The substance of the Bill and the arguments for the Bill are exactly the same as those that I have mentioned for the Architects Bill. The Professional Engineers Bill will repeal and re-enact with changes the existing Professional Engineers Act (Cap. 253). The Bill's main objective, as I mentioned, is similar to that of the Architects Bill, that is, to allow professional engineers to team up with allied professionals to form multi-discipline partnerships and limited liability companies.

Mr Speaker, Sir, the rationale for moving this Bill is to make our engineers more competitive - the same reason as I have mentioned for the Architects Bill. The same safeguards are provided in this Bill as in the Architects Bill. The Bill also introduces the same concept of practising certificates for professional engineers. And similar to the Board of Architects, the Professional Engineers Board will have greater disciplinary powers to deal with misconduct, if any, by multi-discipline consultancy firms. The Board's functions are also expanded and the Board can also establish trust funds, either alone or jointly with other professional bodies, for the promotion of learning and education in connection with engineering.

In addition to the provisions in the Architects Bill, the Professional Engineers Bill has the provision in clause 11(3)(b) under which it seeks to permit only a professional engineer to use as a title before his or her name, the word "Engineer" or its abbreviation "Er." or "Engr." This is to enhance the status of the engineering profession and to prevent the loose usage of the title "Engineer" by non-approved members of the profession. In fact, we hope, Mr Speaker, Sir, that after this Bill is passed, and over time engineers would put before their names "Er." just like doctors put "Dr" before their names, and a Mr Tan, B.Sc (Engineering) would become known as Engineer Tan. This is the practice in other countries, especially in Europe, in Germany, in Holland, where engineers have this prefix before their names indicating that they are engineers. This is to ensure that only professionally qualified engineers use this title. At present, there are many people who go around handing out cards calling themselves engineers. They may be polytechnic graduates, VITB graduates, or just people who have tinkered around with machines for a long time and they call themselves engineers. This provision in the Bill will make sure that only professionals and qualified persons can call themselves engineers.

The Bill has also been drafted by the Attorney-General in consultation with the Professional Engineers Board and officers from my Ministry, and it has taken into consideration the views of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore. Together with the Architects Bill, it marks an important milestone for the course of professional practice in the construction industry.

Here again, Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to enable individual professionals as well as other professional bodies in the construction industry to present their views on the new provisions which affect them. I therefore propose to refer the Bill to a Select Committee.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

Dr Tan Cheng Bock: Mr Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill and I would just like to ask the Minister two questions. The first question is: what are the reasons for introducing the use of practising certificates for the registered architects and professional engineers?

The second question is: what are the reasons for including clause 11(3)(b) of the Professional Engineers Bill to permit only a professional engineer to use as a title before his or her name the word "Engineer" or its abbreviation "Er." or "Engr."?

Mr Dhanabalan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have touched on the reasons. In the case of the practising certificate, as I mentioned in my Second Reading speech on the Architects Bill, under the present system a person can just de-register himself by not paying the fees. So there have been cases where architects or engineers who are under investigation for disciplinary action just did not pay their fees and did not renew their membership and therefore they were deregistered, and that was the end of the matter. Nothing could be done to deal with them. Under this new provision, once an engineer is registered, he remains an engineer. He cannot de-register himself just by not paying his fees. But in order to practise his particular profession, he has to get a practising certificate which he renews every year. So, even if he does not pay his fees, he will continue to be registered as an engineer and any disciplinary action, which is outstanding, can still be proceeded with. The same with the architects and the other professions.

Regarding the use of "Er." and "Engr.", I have touched on that. As I have said, this is not a new thing. It is the practice in other countries with a much longer history of employing engineers or a much longer history of educating engineers. In Germany, for example, the title "Diploma Engineer" DIPL-ING is conferred on engineering graduates from the technical universities and they use it as a prefix to their name. In the Netherlands, they also have a similar word - I do not know how to pronounce the Dutch word - but it is "Ir." instead of "Er". We discussed the abbreviations with the engineers and they decided that they would prefer either "Engr." or "Er." As I have mentioned, just as the dentists and the Veterinarians have, over the last few years, begun to use the word "Dr" which was never the case previously, I hope the engineers would also begin to use "Er." before their names. And only engineers and not others masquerading as engineers.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Resolved,

That the Bill be committed to a Select Committee consisting of Mr Speaker as Chairman and such Members as the Committee of Selection may nominate. - [Mr Dhanabalan].