i. Prominent Architect
ii. Date of birth
27th August 1951
iii. Date of graduation (Architecture degree)
B. Arch (Hons), UTM
At University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) (April 1980)
iv. Date of licensure
v. Member of PAM since
vi. Fellowship year (if applicable)
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vii. Practice Name
viii. Prominent projects (top 10)
- 300 units detached and semi-detached housing development at Kepayan Ridge. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
- 15,000 capacity New Mosque at Sabindo Tawau, Sabah
- Cadangan Pembinaan Pusat Islam UMS dan Masjid UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
- IPD (Police Headquarters), Putrajaya
- Redevelopment of Queen Elizabeth Hospital 667 Beds – Specialist Centre, Day Care, & Trauma Centre Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
- Kota Kinabalu Polytechnic
- Ambulatory Day Care Centre Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Pahang D.M
- Pusat Wanita, Kanak-kanak & Kardiologi Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh, Perak
- Mini Putrajaya Sabah, Federal Administration Complex, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu
- 154 beds, Trauma Center, Imaging Center, 6 Specialist Clinic, 5 nos. OT, and PGMC extension to Tawau Hospital
ix. Summary of contribution to PAM
- As teacher to the PAM Draftsmanship Class (1985)
- Member of PAM Golf Team for IPBG (1990 to present)
- Committee Member (2012-2018)
- Sub-Committee Chairman for sports – Golf, IPBG (2012- 2018)
- Deputy Chairman PAM Sabah Chapter (2018-2021)
- Chairman of PAM Sabah Chapter (2021-2023)
- Council Member of PAM (2021-2023)
- Committee Member, Planning Committee City Hall Kota Kinabalu (2021-2023)
x. Summary of other contributions to society
- Sabah Youth Football (Under 21)Team (1968-1969)
- Captain of Sabah Youth Football Team (1970)
- Captain of Sabah Senior Football Team (1970-1973)
- Honorary Treasurer of Sabah Nation Youth Association (1971-1973)
- Committee Member Kinabalu Golf Club (1985-1988)
- Honorary Treasurer of Sabah Football Association (2009-2013)
- Manager of Sabah Football Team (2009-2013)
- President of Kinabalu Golf Club (2019-2021) As a caddie 1962-1964*
- Chairman of Persatuan Alumni University Technology Malaysia Sabah Branch (2022-Present)
xi.Summary of awards
- Anugerah Panglima Gemilang Darjah Kinabalu (PGDK) – 2022
- Anugerah Tokoh Alumni Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) – 2009
xii. List of close affiliates (references)
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QUESTIONNAIRES – PROMINENT ARCHITECTS PROFILING PROJECT
1.
How did you come to study architecture?
My first encounter with architecture was a book entitled ―From Tree Dwellings to New Towns‖ by P.Maguire. The book was recommended for background reading in connection with the University of Cambridge Local Examinations syndicated School Certificate English Language Paper 2 for 1970.
The book traces the history of houses throughout the world, from early caves and tree dwellings to the most modern New Towns of Britain and the works of Le Corbusier. It deals for most of the part with British Housing, but however it is possible that the author has related the contents to conditions related in other countries.
When I was in Lower Form VI, I saw an advertisement in the local newspaper Sabah Times calling interested candidates for a state scholarship to study architecture in a local higher learning institution in Kuala Lumpur in 1971. Now known as the University of Technology Malaysia. I think I was successful in obtaining the scholarship after competing with 15 other candidates because I responded to the interviewers that I was the artist in the school’s magazine and that I wanted to contribute in the development of the country and Sabah in particular. The journey then was an experience seeking for the reality of “What is Architecture”.
2.
What were your architectural influences?
3.
Could you tell us about a project you are proudest of?
It is the Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Putrajaya, located in Precinct 7, sitting on higher ground with a commanding view of the Prime Minister’s Building to the left and the Convention Centre to the right, with the boulevard linking these two prominent buildings.
I was able to convince the CEO of Putrajaya Holdings, the custodian of the development to Putrajaya, to accept a modern design as opposed to the classical style being constructed in this new Federal Administrative Centre. The building plan is circular, housing all activities.
I was proud of the design because when it was completed, it was the only modern building standing, and later most of the buildings constructed along the boulevard emulated a modern design.
The project cost was RM 2,400.00 per sqm, compared to my usual budget of RM 1,200-1400 per sqm. Currently, international building rates in the US are around USD 4,500 per sqm. Given such rates, I could create wonders in design; however, my principle is always to design within whatever budget is given to me. Most of my designs currently surpass RM 2,100 per sqm but have yet to exceed the rate of the 1990s. This is a sad situation for local architects, who cannot fully explore their design skills due to budget constraints.
4.
What would you consider yourself a pioneer of?
I would say there are two categories in the building sector where I have contributed: healthcare and affordable housing.
I was sent to Chicago in 1980 on a transfer technology training program in hospital planning and design. In 1988, I introduced the Ambulatory Day Care Centre in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which reduced the required number of beds from 900 to 600. The Day Care Centre model that allows minor surgical procedures to be performed within a day, without requiring the traditional three-night stay. This reduced bed congestion and was later adopted nationwide. To plan and design high rise hospital in Sabah.
The second area is affordable housing, mostly for low-income earners, where I utilized the Industrial Building System (IBS) in my projects as early as the 1980s in Peninsular Malaysia and later in Sabah during my short tenure with LPPB. I continued to adopt IBS in all my housing projects, reducing costs and time.
Presently, I am incorporating these principles into one of my projects, a new township along the Penampang-Papar Pan Borneo Highway. This project encompasses Smart City concept, large-scale urban farming for low-income earners, and cycling and pedestrian paths for residents. Construction will adopt the Industrialized Building System.
Other than these initiatives, I am deeply involved in assisting University College Yayasan Sabah in setting up the School of Architecture. This will be the first in the country to offer a curriculum geared towards professional practice, unlikely many schools that focus primarily on design theory without teaching the realities of architecture.
Another important introduction I have pursued in hospitals is the therapeutic garden as a non-pharmacological approach to care. I have included it twice in hospital designs, but it was not accepted by the Health Ministry due to perceived high maintenance. However, studies show that such green spaces provide healing environments, supporting holistic recovery and improving patient experience and quality of life. They promote physical, mental, and social well-being for patients, visitors, and staff. I am still pursuing this concept in two proposed hospitals.
5.
What do you consider the greatest changes in the profession from the time you began to the present day?
The greatest change in the profession has been Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which has transformed architecture over the last 15 years.
I started with technical pens, drafting tables, and tracing paper, producing drawings that were printed in ammonia boxes. Communication was by telephone and fax, and design presentations used overhead projectors with transparencies.
Today, everything has shifted to digital: from 2D drafting to 3D modeling and AI-assisted tools. The changes are drastic. Real-time digital meetings with clients and consultants especially since the pandemic have sped up decisions, reduced travel and shortened project timelines.
Graduates today enter the workforce with strong technological skills but often lack an understanding of the architect’s role in practice. While these tools are helpful, they cannot replace the architect’s creativity, ideas and human skills. Computers make processes faster, but the essence of design remains unchanged.
Fundamentally, architecture has not changed much since Babylon – everything was always documented and drawn. The architect’s role in drawing and designing will never be replaced, though digital tools now support and accelerate the process. The real changes are in marketing, client engagement, and project management, whether for small houses or mega projects.
6.
What is your approach to mentorship?
We provide guidance, not solutions, exposing mentees to the realities of architecture. We guide them on the “5C(s)”:
- Creativity
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Collaboration
- Character building
7.
What is your advice to young architects starting their journeys today?
Beyond seeking knowledge in architecture, develop other design skills and take specialized subjects such as BIM, Healthcare Design, Shopping Mall Design, and Airport Planning. Most importantly, read and write your thoughts to gain a broader understanding of the built environment and its connections with society, economics, and politics.
8.
Where do you see architecture heading in the future?
I don’t have a crystal ball, but architecture has always been in transition, evolving through revolutions and styles—from tree dwellings to utopian cities, from Mesopotamia and Babylon to the Incas, the Egyptian pyramids, and modern cities today.
The earth is four billion years old and humanity is only halfway through its expected lifespan. Architecture will continue to evolve in parallel.
I suppose the architecture of the future will be heavily influenced by technological advancement and AI, following the need for efficiency and performance based outcomes, finding ways to lead towards sustainable architecture or fully regenerative, data-driven design principles.
9.
What is your architecture/design manifesto?
Every architect must act in order to save architecture, to raise our voice for a better human habitat.
As once a poet said:
Become an artisan,
Connect, attend, concern yourself, enquire…
wipe out whatever cuts you off:
Betroth yourself, commit your ring to the broad canal
of the common man.
Become as one of the countless pillars of the great
companionable task.
10.
Architecture: form and function, which one comes first?
All designs end with function. During the conceptual phase, I often attempt curves and organic forms, but clients almost always prefer cost-effective, robust, and practical buildings.
Only the top 10% of “Avant-garde” or “starchitect” firms design primarily for form, while the rest of us deliver practical architecture to meet client needs.
11.
What is your thought on current Malaysian Architecture?
Malaysian architecture is facing an identity crisis, caught between universal modernism and the search for local character. The natural world and human needs are increasingly overshadowed by technology, AI, and automation.
12.
What do you see in the future of Malaysian Architecture?
I hope Malaysian architecture will embrace natural principles and heritage, merging them seamlessly with sustainability and technology. With 95% of the population expected to live in urban areas, we must adopt biophilic design and smart technology to create healthy, livable environments.
