18 June 2010 - Malaysia’s popularity as an international meeting place continues to grow.

Malaysia’s latest international congress win is for the Federation of International Surveyors (FIG)  General Assembly & International Congress 2014. Malaysia won the vote over Istanbul, Turkey 35:31 at the XXIV FIG Congress which was held in Sydney, Australia from 11 to 16 April, 2010.

Malaysia’s  Association of Authorised Land Surveyors (Persatuan Juruukur Tanah Bertauliah Malaysia - PEJUTA) and the Department of Surveying and Mapping, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia played a pivotal role in Malaysia’s successful bid.  The President of the Malaysian member association in FIG, Mohammad Azmi Mohd Zin, commented: “Winning this prestigious international congress for Malaysia is not only a major milestone but will help add to the country’s effort and credibility to be a new hub for surveying knowledge and practises.”

Some 3,000 national and international participants over 100 countries will converge for the eight-day Congress and General Assembly scheduled to kick off on 9 May, 2014. The first FIG International Congress to be held in Asia in the federation’s 136 year history, the event will take place at the award winning Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The efforts of PEJUTA were  supported by Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB )and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and other members of Team Malaysia which include Malaysia Airlines and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).  The Malaysian bid also enjoyed industry wide support from Malaysia’s Land Surveyors Board, Board of Quantity Surveyors, Board of Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents, Institution of Surveyors Malaysia, Professional Services Development Corporation and University of Malaya.

It was truly a bonanza moment for Malaysia as Mr Teo Chee Hai, a nominee of PEJUTA was also elected the new FIG President for the period 2011-2014. He will be the first FIG President from Asia. Mr Teo is an Executive Council Member of PEJUTA, a Past President of the Institution of Surveyors Malaysia and current FIG Vice President. Commenting on the pooled resources by the Malaysian bid committee, Mr Teo remarked: “It was indeed a Team Malaysia effort and we are privileged to bring home this win for our country.”

The FIG congress, the most important event in the FIG calendar, is expected to bring some RM35 million in direct visitor expenditure, from 3,000 delegates, to the Malaysian economy in 2014. The congress will aim to gather together a number of surveyors, land professionals and the spatial science experts, from all over the world. The event will also present exhibition and bespoke technical workshops. Visitors to the FIG Congress 2014 will be natural and built environment professionals who are engaging in a variety of sciences, technologies, practices  and activities involving survey and mapping, land management, land administration and cadastre, remote sensing and photogrammetry, positioning and navigation, precise measurement, hydrography, geographical information, spatial planning and development, valuation, building surveying, property and facilities management, estate management, quantity surveying and cost engineering, project and construction management, geospatial sciences, spatial data initiatives, global navigation satellite sciences, education and lifelong learning.

FIG International Congresses are hosted by FIG together with its local member association and held every four years. The last congresses were held in Brighton (UK) in 1998, in Washington, DC (USA) in 2002, in Munich, Germany in 2006 and most recently in Sydney, Australia. In 2009, Malaysia welcomed an estimated 1.18 million overseas business event visitors and brought in an estimated RM10.8 billion  in visitor spend  - a year when the global economy was in crisis and while businesses and business travel was downsizing.

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Media enquiries:
Zulkefli Haji Sharif,
MyCEB CEO,
+019 2705 949

Nuwal Fadhilah Ku Azmi,
MyCEB
:+6019 390 2676

About MyCEB:
MyCEB was established in 2009 to develop Malaysia’s business events brand and position for the international market. It will also serve as a one-stop shop for meeting planners and a conduit for national business events product development.

About PEJUTA:
PEJUTA, which was established in 1979 and represents 97 % of Malaysia’s  practicing licensed surveyors, is the sole member association in FIG since 2002.  Malaysia had sustained membership in FIG since 1968 through the Institution of Surveyors Malaysia prior to 2002.

About FIG:
FIG was founded in 1878 in Paris and was known as the Fèdèration Internationale des Gèometres. This is later anglicized to the” International Federation of Surveyors”. Today, FIG is the premier international organization representing the interests of surveyors worldwide.