KUALA LUMPUR (May 20): The proposed Urban Redevelopment Act should also include inputs from property and facility managers, said Malaysian Institute of Property and Facility Managers (MIPFM) president Ishak Ismail.

At the MIPFM Smart Building Conference 2024 held on Monday in Petaling Jaya, Ishak told the press that the proposed Act will provide clarity on what developers and other stakeholders should expect in terms of regulations and compliance required.

“That would be very helpful towards the redevelopment exercise. In the past, for instance, many [property management] issues were not taken into account [in a project’s planning stage]. Hence, inputs from property and facility management are very important. We want to address them from the very beginning,” stressed Ishak, adding that MIPFM has yet to be invited to be part of the stakeholder discussions on the proposed Act.

“The proposed Act also needs to have some form of similar provisions as compared to the defect deposit provision in the Strata Management Act 2013,” added Ishak.

Meanwhile, in a keynote address, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) executive director (project management) Muhamad Hamim, who afficiated the opening of the conference, focused on the benefits of smart cities and the challenges.

“Today, the smart city scenario is changing rapidly. We are witnessing the rise of smart buildings with a symphony of interconnected technologies for property managers to manage buildings and building services in an efficient and effective manner,” said Muhamad.

He added that the journey to a truly smart future is not without its challenges and that includes issues with integration, cybersecurity and prioritising a people-centric design.

The Smart Building Conference 2024 is a one-day event organised by MIPFM. It was attended by around 200 delegates from the real estate industry, professional bodies, government and academia.

The conference consisted of a lineup of industry leaders and experts, such as TRX City chief executive officer Datuk Azmar Talib, UEM Edgenta Bhd (KL:EDGENTA) CEO Syahrunizam Samsudin, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission anti-money laundering division director Datuk Mohamad Zamri and more, sharing their insights.

The MIPFM Smart Building Conference 2024 was sponsored by Nippon Paint Malaysia and supported by CSS Group and Analytiq X Sdn Bhd.