PAM ANNUAL DINNER 2009 Speech by Guest of Honour Yg Bhg Dato' Ahmad Fuad Ismail Datuk Bandar, Dewan

Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur 3 October 2009 One World Hotel, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya

Architect Boon Che Wee President of PAM Architect Lee Chor Wah Immediate Past President of PAM Y Bhg Dato' Architect Nur Haizi Abdul Hai President of the Board of Architects Malaysia Architect Haji Abdul Halim Suhor Organising Chairman PAM Council Members Architects, Dato-Dato, Datin-Datin, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen Assalaamu'alaikum w.b.r. and a very good evening. I would like to thank PAM for inviting me to your Annual Dinner tonight. I am honoured to be in the presence of eminent people from the architectural profession. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate PAM for having successfully organized another Annual Dinner. I was also made to understand that tonight PAM will be honoring winners of the PAM 2009 Awards and many congratulations to the PAM 2009 Awards Winners for your outstanding achievement in architectural design and creativity. Winning the PAM Awards is truly an achievement as the selection by the panel of Master Juries is based on very stringent rules and criteria. Tonight, PAM will also be honouring your Past Presidents by recognizing them as inaugural Fellow Members. I applaud all PAM Past Presidents. It was through your sheer ingenuity, deep sense of responsibility and steady leadership that today Malaysians have been able to savor the impressive, splendid designs and the eventual awesome skylines all around us. Of course, these achievements could not have been without an effective PAM in the background. A job well done, indeed. Ladies and Gentlemen Since the launch of the Green Building Index in May 2009, I am pleased to note that under the leadership of PAM and with the firm support of ACEM, GBI has trained over 200 building professionals through your facilitator course, and to date has received 32 applications for residential and non-residential buildings for certification from different parts of Malaysia. The Prime Minister recently launched the first GBI-certified building, the Pusat Tenaga Malaysia Green Energy Office Building (PTM-GEO Building). Though pilot in status, it is another milestone towards greater promotion and adoption of sustainable building concept. PTM-GEO is the only completed green building in Malaysia. City Hall believes the future looks a single colour: green. As such, we recognize the Green Building Index so long as it is tuned to right fit the Malaysian building scenario. City Hall will also be looking at incentives to provide a fast track approval to Green Building Index (GBI) certified projects or "Green Lane Fast Track Approval". Other incentive proposals that we have discussed include making it official in the award of a higher plot ratio to projects that have been awarded with Green Building Index gold, platinum and silver certifications.

We have also been in discussions to include the GBI registration, Provisional Certification and Final Certification in our Development Order and Building Plans Approval. City Hall is also looking forward to work with PAM to organise a City Hall-PAM Best Green Building Index Certified Building Award in Kuala Lumpur. As consumers are becoming more and more aware of the long-term benefits of developing green and sustainable townships and environment, we look forward to the release of the "Neighbourhood Green-rating Tools" and the "Existing Building Green-rating Tools" by GBI early next year, ultimately for the health of the Malaysian economy and building industry. I would like to acknowledge the grueling effort of your volunteers who have put together Green Building Index for Malaysia in record time. This is truly remarkable. Ladies and gentlemen Architects play an important role in driving development of a place by consistently searching for more exciting ideas and functions and incorporate them in their creations. They keep pushing the standards forward, shifting the boundaries further, blending the past and future and for the best part, they never fail to excite and provoke with the shape and look of things they present you. It is often magic. The long list of buildings in Kuala Lumpur stands testimony to this. And I am constantly reminded of it every time I pass the Sultan Abdul Samad Building or walk by the columns of City Hall lobby. I certainly hope PAM and the Board of Architects Malaysia will continue their pursuit for excellence and, equally, continue to mesmerize. On this note, ladies and gentlemen, I thank you PAM for the invitation and congratulate the Winners of the PAM 2009 Awards and Past Presidents of PAM for the recognition that your institute has bestowed upon you. Thank you and enjoy the evening.