Siem Reap, Cambodia – The ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer Coordinating Committee (ACPECC) approved 215 new chartered professional engineers during its 52nd meeting held in Siem Reap, Cambodia on June 4, 2024, bringing the total number of active ACPEs across the region to 7,645.

The meeting, chaired by Malaysia's Datuk Mohd Adnan bin Mohd Nor, considered 222 applications from seven member states. Malaysia dominated with 132 applications, followed by the Philippines (38), Vietnam (25), Indonesia (14), Cambodia (6), Singapore (4), and Thailand (3).

Vietnam Faces Engineering Discipline Review

The committee approved 215 applications but requested Vietnam to review seven applications for appropriate engineering disciplines, including five thermal engineering, one nuclear engineering, and one energy engineering applicant for consideration at the next meeting. This highlights the ongoing efforts to standardize engineering disciplines across ASEAN member states.

Five Countries Achieve Regional Targets

The meeting recognized five member states that have achieved the roadmap target of having 20 percent of their registered professional engineers hold ACPE status or reaching 1,000 ACPEs, whichever is lower :

•             Myanmar leads with 49.4% (622 out of 1,259 registered engineers)

•             Brunei Darussalam at 47.4% (36 out of 76 registered engineers)

•             Malaysia reaches exactly 20% (3,334 out of 16,724 registered engineers)

•             Indonesia and the Philippines have exceeded the 1,000 ACPE threshold

Enhanced Regional Mobility Programs Take Shape

The Technical Working Group on Mobility of ASEAN Engineers (TWG-MAE) reported significant progress on several initiatives designed to improve professional engineer mobility across the region :

ASEAN Engineering Awards: Seven member states have agreed to share costs equally at USD 500 per country (total USD 5,000) for annual engineering excellence awards, with Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, and Vietnam still considering participation.

Capacity Building: Cambodia is advancing discussions with the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) for enhanced professional development programs, with details on fees and financing to be finalized after AFEO's mid-year meeting.

Internship and Exchange Programs: Member states are encouraged to establish pilot bilateral or trilateral programs to facilitate professional experience sharing among ASEAN engineers.

Philippines Demonstrates Success with Fee Waivers

The Philippines presented compelling evidence that waiving registration fees significantly increases ACPE applications. Their Professional Regulation Commission's initiative, combined with ACPE orientation programs and one-stop shop services, resulted in substantially higher application numbers. The committee requested the Philippines to consider implementing similar programs in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Regional Professional Recognition Grows

Currently, 30 engineers hold Registered Foreign Professional Engineer (RFPE) status across member states, allowing them to practice in countries other than their home nation. Thailand leads with 9 RFPEs, followed by Malaysia and Singapore with 9 and 7 respectively.