Malaysia has secured the hosting of the Congress and General Assembly of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG Congress) in Kuala Lumpur in early May 2014.

The country won the bid over Istanbul, Turkey at the recent XXIV FIG International Congress and General Assembly held in Sydney, Australia from 11 to 16 April, 2010, for its growing reputation as a preferred destination for meetings, conferences, exhibitions and events in the region.

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) is the chosen venue for this auspicious event.

Some 3,000 national and international participants over 100 countries will converge for the eight-day Congress and General Assembly scheduled to kick off on 9 May, 2014. The event will be the first FIG International Congress to be held in Asia in the federation’s 136 year history.

The winning bid can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), the Association of Authorised Land Surveyors Malaysia (PEJUTA) and “Team Malaysia”, comprising of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre), Malaysia Airlines, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd and the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL).

Commenting on the selection of Kuala Lumpur as the venue, En Mohammad Azmi Mohd Zin, President of PEJUTA, the sole FIG member association, said this prestigious international congress is not only a major milestone but will help add to the country’s effort and credibility to be a new hub for surveying knowledge and practises.

He also commented that it was a double success for Malaysia following the selection of Mr Teo Chee Hai, a nominee of the Association as the next FIG President (2011-2014). Mr Teo is an Executive Council Member of PEJUTA, a Past President of the Institution of Surveyors Malaysia and current FIG Vice President.

Meanwhile, Datuk Peter Brokenshire, General Manager, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, said it is a great honour for the Centre to host a prestigious event like the FIG 2014 International Congress.

“Hosting an event of this nature strengthens our position as Asia’s premier venue provider and further solidifies our track record on the MICE global map. We have no doubt the FIG Congress 2014 will help boost the Centre’s credibility and capabilities, as the preferred venue for business events”.

The Centre has successfully confirmed 44 conventions and exhibitions for its 2010 event calendar.

FIG is recognised by the United Nations as an international, non-governmental organisation, whose purpose is to support international collaboration in all surveying fields and applications. FIG is also responsilbe for ensuring that the various disciplines of surveying and all who practise them, meet the needs of the markets and the communities that they serve in. Founded in 1878, FIG has members from a host of associations and organisations from over 120 countries.

The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has successfully notched another international accreditation with receipt of ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001:2004) certification.

The recognition qualifies the venue as the first convention centre in Malaysia to be certified ISO 14001:2004 following a stringent audit by SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd (SIRIM QAS), Malaysia’s leading certification, inspection and testing body.

For the purpose-built world-class facility, receipt of ISO 14001 marks another milestone as a venue that operates in a responsible manner.

Attributing the Centre’s success to a team effort, General Manager Datuk Peter Brokenshire said that ISO 14001 certification will spur the Centre to continually improve “our environmental performance and ensure better acceptance in a growing ‘green’ world.” 

Continuing, Brokenshire said, “to adhere and follow recognized standards of environmental harm-reduction programmes in our day-to-day operations requires commitment and passion from the entire team. The efforts and dedication demonstrated by every staff member across the board; from operations and facilities to sales and marketing, finance and administration, and human resource, have been integral in our achievement of both certifications and will be strong motivators for us to continue adopting best practices in our business operations.”

ISO 14001 is a tool which provides assurance to management that it is in control of the organizational processes and activities that have an impact on the environment.

Besides ISO 14001, the Centre is ISO 9001, ISO 22000, OHSAS 18001, EarthCheck Bronze and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certified.