ONE OF TOP CHINESE TALENTS: Ha posing in front of the board of shortlisted candidates.
He was selected among over 1,000 nominations from all over the world. The Beijing rating agency had shortlisted 72 candidates, then 30 and finally a panel of 39 high-ranking judges selected the top 10. A formal ceremony was held at the People’s Great Hall in Beijing on July 4, 2010. Beijing TV stations covered the event.
Commenting on the significance of the award for him and Malaysia, Ha said, “An achievement by any Malaysian recognised internationally is certainly an honour for the country. This award is not just for me but also an award for our organisation and team of very capable engineers and other professionals involved in the wide spectrum of construction work that we have accomplished in Malaysia and many parts of Asia.
“It is a recognition of Malaysian professional expertise. It is also a recognition that engineers contribute in a big way to economic development everywhere. For example, the fast pace of development in China that you see today, will not be possible without the engineering genius of their people. Currently, there are 12 cities in China who are handling operations of their MRT systems, 22 cities under construction and 14 cities in planning.”
Ha pointed that one of the most rewarding experiences was winning the double track project on a budget on a budget of just RM14.5 billion in October 2003.
“The fact that we can achieve it at such a low price when foreign contractors’ best price was RM19 million, showed our capability in innovation for cost-effective designs,” he added.
On the most difficult experience, he said that it was when the government, in December 2003 decided to postpone the project.
“We were deeply into executing the designs with a group of no less than 20 large consultants and had a very large team of engineers involved, some of whom we hired from overseas. The fact that they had to relocate their families here made it hard for us to break the news that all the work that we were in the course of doing and planning to do had to be stopped.
“It was certainly demoralising and disappointing but we had to accept the government’s decision. The project was partially revived in December 2007 and we are now executing the northern portion from Ipoh to Padang Besar, costing RM12.5 billion,” Ha said.
When asked whether he was willing to share his experience and expertise with the younger generation, he highlighted that he would share his experience with as many young members of the engineering profession as possible.
“At Gamuda, we have a strong team culture and this facilitates knowledge sharing. So I believe we now have a very strong technical team with strong design capabilities.
“Each generation has its own challenges and the younger generation will similarly face challenges unique to their own time. What they need is to acquire the right skills and attitude to facing problems and challenges,” he highlighted.
Ha noted that developing the company’s workforce and giving back to the community in terms of scholarships and mentoring were ways that he would like to transfer his knowledge and experience.
When queried on what else did he aspired to do next, he answered, “Our MD (managing director) Datuk Lin Yun Ling provides the overall business leadership and I concentrate on ensuring the technical and innovative edge in our operations so in this way, we work very well as a team.
“I would like to continue being able to identify unique engineering challenges and apply our combined experience and knowledge to something that will have much beneficial impact on our society. We are in the thick of pioneering the MRT for KL (Kuala Lumpur) and its suburbs, which is a very huge project that will take 10 years.
“This is something that will greatly transform transportation in KL and something I believe KL people deserve, given the potential for more efficient transit and mobility which will hasten the pace of economic growth,” Ha explained.
After being named as one of China’s Top 10 Economic Talents, he stated that his current task at hand was to materialise Gamuda’s proposal to the government to build the MRT.
“It is something that I am fully committed to. It is all consuming and our focus on this mission is extremely intense. The MRT project for the Klang Valley will have tremendous benefits for our future residents here and it will enable them to enjoy a world-class transportation system,” Ha added.
On where would he like to see himself in five years’ time, he said that he would like to ride on the MRT in Kuala Lumpur, when perhaps the Red line would be in operation.
“I would like to see our Prime Minister officiating the opening of the MRT. I hope Kuala Lumpur can join the ranks of major cities’ competitiveness with underground transport mobility,” he concluded.
The China Top 10 Economic Talent award was jointly organised by seven organisations based in Beijing. They were Beijing Cultural Development Research Centre, China Education TV Channel, Forbes Publication, China Tuxuan Link, First Channel, Soho Link and Sinlang Link.
The organisers engaged 39 renowned expert judges from both the public and private sectors of the respective industry and market to evaluate the nominations. Its patron was the deputy speaker of the Chinese Parliament.
The award started off as recognition of Chinese talents within China but since three years ago it had become international. Nominations had been accepted from Chinese all over the world. It recognises Chinese talents irrespective of country of residence.
by Jonathan Chia
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