KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's signatory status to the Washington Accord has been approved for another six years from June 2024, said the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM).
In a statement, BEM noted that, as a full signatory member of the Washington Accord, it is subject to periodic reviews to establish whether Malaysian Bachelor of Engineering degree qualifications meet international benchmark standards.
The decision to extend Malaysia's signatory status was made during the International Engineering Alliance meetings held in Delhi, India, on June 13.
"BEM president Datuk Ir Ahmad Redza Ghulam Rasool led a delegation of six senior Malaysian engineers to the meeting.
"This is a significant milestone for the engineering profession as Malaysia is poised to become a global education hub," BEM said.
As a full signatory of the Washington Accord, BEM said all engineering degree qualifications accredited by BEM are recognised by 24 other signatories to the Washington Accord as academically qualified for entry-level engineering practice in their countries, subject to meeting local licensing requirements.
Malaysia is one of four Asean countries whose engineering degree qualifications are recognized by the Washington Accord, alongside Indonesia, the Philippines, and Singapore.
The periodic review was conducted from Feb 24, 2023, to Mar 5, 2023. A team of international experts from other signatory countries observed the Engineering Accreditation Council Malaysia's accreditation processes at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.