Ethics, integrity and professionalism among 'profesionals'

Salam and dear all, The article below refers to ethics, integrity and professionalism among the 'professionals' including quantity surveyors. It is an abridged version of the 'EDITORIAL: The collapse of professionalism' taken from the New Straits Times, 4th June 2009 (http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Columns/2573581/Article/index_html). Referring to the stadium incident at Gong Badak, Terengganu (see my earlier posting), ... the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pointed out, when new buildings collapse just like that, "it does not show professionalism". And in the construction process, while the architects and engineers are as much hired hands as the carpenters and bricklayers, the responsibility for the integrity of the structures that are put up is ultimately theirs. In the first place, they prepare the designs and the building plans. They also supervise the construction at the site and certify that work has been completed in accordance with the approved plan. Of course, contractors, sub-contractors and the building control authorities are not always blameless. But every time a building turns into a heap of rubble, we also lose a little more of the trust that we still have for the expertise and ethics of the architects and engineers. It is time for the professional associations and the statutory bodies to step up and act on any failure to carry out their duties with due care and diligence in accordance with the laws and ethics that govern their professions. Wassalam.