Engineer Keizrul Abdullah Describes SMART Tunnel  As His Greatest 'Gift' To The Nation

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Wetlands International Malaysia Chairman Datuk Keizrul Abdullah has described his contribution to the construction of the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) project as his greatest 'gift' to the country after nearly 50 years in the engineering field.

Keizrul, 73, was named the 2024 National Engineering Icon at the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) Awards and Appreciation Dinner here tonight, recognising his immense contributions to the nation’s engineering field. The award was presented by Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

Speaking to reporters after receiving the prestigious award, Keizrul expressed his gratitude for the recognition in reflecting on his career, which began in the 1970s.

“As an engineer, it has always been a dream to work on mega projects. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to ‘gift’ the country with the SMART Tunnel project, which to this day, no other country has implemented a similar project,” he said.

Recalling the inception of the SMART Tunnel idea, Keizrul said it was initially proposed to then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad due to Kuala Lumpur's frequent flooding issues.

“Tun Dr. Mahathir asked me how often the tunnel would be used for flood control, which led to the idea of building a tunnel that could also be used as a road when it wasn't managing floodwaters,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the 2024 National Young Engineering Icon Award was awarded to Associate Professor Dr Hassimi Abu Hasan, 40, for his contributions to research and the community.

Hassimi, the Head of the Centre for Sustainable Process Technology (CESPRO) at the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, is actively engaged in research on wastewater treatment using biological processes and resource recovery from industrial wastewater.

One of his key contributions includes leading the construction of a small-scale water treatment plant for the Orang Asli community in Ulu Chembong, Negeri Sembilan, in 2018.

At  the event, the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) was also among the 12 recipients of the Media Appreciation Awards.

Bernama Chief Executive Officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, who received the award, said that the recognition highlights the acknowledgment of the media's role in advancing the nation’s engineering field by BEM.

"As the minister mentioned earlier, without the media, innovations would remain just innovations, and people would not know about them...Alhamdulillah, we are grateful they recognise the media's role and have presented awards to all major media outlets.

"The minister’s wish to hold a grand appreciation award ceremony is also commendable, as it acknowledges the contributions of journalists, including young reporters, in covering engineering, a field that is complex and filled with technical terms. Such recognition encourages young reporters to learn and explore other fields beyond general news, politics, sports, and entertainment," she said.

Earlier, Nanta, in his speech, noted that without media professionals providing accurate information to the public, no matter how groundbreaking an innovation in engineering may be, it would remain unknown.

He added that tonight's event was a gesture of appreciation for the dedication and professionalism of media practitioners and a way to thank them for their hard work and unwavering support in educating and informing society.

-- BERNAMA