UTAR and Mega PJ to venture into green technology construction

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Mega PJ Sdn Bhd signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) at UTAR Kuala Lumpur Campus on 11 October 2012. 

Signing the MoA on behalf of the parties were UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato' Dr Chuah Hean Teik and Mega PJ managing director Shakry bin Ahmed, while UTAR Vice President (Research, Development and Commercialisation) Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei and Mega PJ Director Noor Hariri bin Mohamed Noor signed as witnesses.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology Water Malaysia Datuk Loo Took Gee, Group CEO of Tuanpha Group and Mega PJ Sdn Bhd Tuan Mustapha bin Haji Tuan Mat and UTAR Faculty of Engineering and Science (FES) Acting Dean Dr Goi Bok Min were present to witness the signing.

UTAR, a not-for-profit private university with a vision to become a premier teaching and research university, has developed and filed for patent a green-technology prefabricated building material called 'membrane encased lightweight concrete panel and block'. The product, an invention of the UTAR research team comprising Dr Ir Low Kaw Sai (inventor), Dr Ng Soon Ching (co-inventor) and Dr Tioh Ngee Heng (co-inventor) from the FES, is expected to contribute significantly as part of the industrialised building system for green-technology construction.

Under the MoA, Mega PJ would fabricate the green-technology prefab building material as a licensee under the supervision of the licensor, UTAR, which assumed the role of main technical consultant.  Mega PJ would then use the prefab material in a project awarded to its subsidiary by a developer for building detached houses under the Rumah Mesra Rakyat 1 Malaysia (RMR1M) scheme in Kelantan. 

Under the RMR1M scheme, it is compulsory for the developer to incorporate in their housing construction industrial building system prefab building components with green and sustainable technology features such as the use of recycled or natural materials, and energy-saving materials.  Mega PJ selected UTAR's invention because it has proven to be a green and superior heat and sound insulating prefab building material suitable for the RMR1M project.  The developer would likely be using the UTAR product for constructing RMR1M houses in other locations in Malaysia in the future.

"I applaud all the parties here for taking the initiative to actually applying green technology in building affordable houses," said Datuk Loo.  She added that the collaborative effort initiated by UTAR and Mega PJ would contribute to the country's move towards a greener tomorrow. 

"I am glad to mention that UTAR's research efforts are synergistic to the Government's plan towards creating a greener Malaysia.  In line with the Green Technology Roadmap, UTAR has certainly contributed to the national vision of leveraging on green technology to achieve sustainable development towards a high-income economy through the development of green technology," said Prof Chuah, adding that all the research and development works in UTAR have taken the green aspect into consideration. 

Tuan Mustapha said that he hoped the MoA would create closer ties between Mega PJ and UTAR on exploring new technologies and innovations.  He also hoped the MoA would lead to commercialisation of the energy-efficient aerated lightweight concrete panel in the industry to align with the Government's initiative to widely apply industrialised building system and green technology.

After the MoA signing (from left): Dr Goi, Dr Ng, Dr Low, Tuan Mustapha, Datuk Loo, Prof Chuah, Shakry, Dr Tioh, and Prof Lee

Dr Ng explaining about the green-technology product to Datuk Loo



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