ICE Malaysia conference 2024: engineers' responsibility to act

Mark Hansford

Mark Hansford is the director of engineering knowledge at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). He plays a crucial role in shaping the knowledge content for civil engineering professionals.

With over 20 years of experience in the civil engineering industry, Mark began his career as a practicing engineer with Atkins, where he worked on water supply and distribution projects both in the UK and internationally, including a major study in Ghana.

At ICE, Mark is actively involved in strategic initiatives like Project 13, which aims to promote collaborative and sustainable approaches to infrastructure delivery.

Ir Ashwin Thurairajah

Ir. Ashwin Thurairajah is the executive director of GreenRE, a Malaysian-based organisation leading green building certification and sustainable development efforts. With over 18 years of experience in engineering, Ir. Ashwin holds a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Management from Imperial College London. His expertise spans building services, oil and gas, and sustainable real estate.

Since joining GreenRE in 2017, he has played a pivotal role in pushing for sustainable practices in the Malaysian built environment, particularly through green building certification programs. Ir. Ashwin is also actively involved in shaping national sustainability policies, including contributing to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act and technical committees for Malaysian Standards on energy efficiency in buildings.

Dr Yasmin Rasyid

Dr. Yasmin Rasyid is a sustainability scientist and environmentalist with over 26 years of experience. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology from Duke University, a Master’s in Biotechnology, and a PhD in Sustainability Science from the University of Malaya.

Yasmin founded EcoKnights, a non-profit advocating for environmental sustainability in Malaysia, and has held key roles in both the public and private sectors.

She was the Sustainability Director at Lendlease Malaysia and is currently general manager of sustainability at Sime Darby Property, where she focuses on decarbonization and building sustainable communities.

Linza Wells

With over 28 years of experience in the transportation sector, Ms. Linza Wells obtained her BA (Hons) from the University of Liverpool and her MSc from the University of London, England. She has been an alumna member of the International Association of Traffic and Safety Science (IATSS) Forum Japan since 2004.

Ms. Wells was previously a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and is now a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation and the Transport Planning Society.

Throughout her career in the transportation sector, she has been involved in numerous consultancy projects across Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the UK as a consultant and project manager.

She is currently overseeing both MDS Consultancy Group and Traffic Planners & Consultants.

Annabelle Loke

Annabelle is a chartered engineer with 15 years of experience, specializing in structural engineering and project management. She has made significant contributions to notable infrastructure projects, including the Cross Island Line, Changi Inter Terminal Bored Tunnels, DTL Bencoolen Station.

Annabelle's true passion lies in promoting sustainability in the built environment. As the Sustainability Lead for Infrastructure at Arup Singapore, she leads initiatives to integrate sustainable practices into infrastructure projects.

Annabelle advocates for the use of innovative technologies, materials, and construction methods to reduce environmental impact and enhance urban infrastructure resilience. Her collaborative approach and leadership skills contribute to shaping a greener and more sustainable future for Singapore's built environment.

Dr Bala Gurusamy

Dr Bala Gurusamy (Bala) is an environmental and social safeguards specialist with 35 years of professional experience. He has delivered projects in a wide range of sectors from infrastructure, climate change, biodiversity, transportation, energy and water resources. He has planned and managed over 300 consultancy projects in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar and has served as advisor to a wide range of government agencies, private sector and non-governmental organisations across Asia. He has published widely and is frequently invited to speak at conferences and seminars on environmental and social safeguards.

Dr Bala’s expertise ranges from policy and programme formulation to project planning and implementation. He has played key roles in many national policies and strategic plans in Malaysia including the National Physical Plan, National Urbanisation Policy and the National Biodiversity Policy as well as subnational levels such as the Sustainability Strategies for the states of Perak and Johor. He has led multi-disciplinary environmental and social impact assessment teams in very large infrastructure projects including the Kelang Valley MRT Lines 1, 2 & 3, the 700-km East Coast Rail Link, airports and expressways. He has, in recent years, been the team leader for the revision of the national handbooks for the EIA and the SIA as well as developing strategies for improving the impact assessment process in Malaysia and Bangladesh.

Dr Bala is currently the Managing Director for Aurecon Lestari Malaysia. Since June 2022, Dr Bala has also taken on the role of Market Director, Environment & Sustainability – Asia, responsible for overseeing the environment and sustainability business across Asia (Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines) for the Aurecon Group.

Ir Dr Tony Chan

Ir. Dr. Tony Chan is our ICE country representative and currently the chief executive officer of WCT Holdings Bhd where his 25 years of experience in research development, advisory, and execution and financial planning for mega urban and green infrastructure projects across Asia and Europe regions. Prior to his current role, Dr. Tony has helmed key leadership in Opus Group, Atkins, Mott MacDonald, and MMC Group.

A multi-disciplinary individual, Dr. Tony has experiences in urban transport, highway and bridges, sustainable urban green planning, climate change resilience and storm water management, wastewater and waste nexus energy technology, and water resources and river basin management. Currently, he is also an industry panel advisor for the civil engineering faculty at SEGi University & Colleges, where he shares his insights and knowledge with the next generation of engineers.

Ir Gandhi Suppiah

Ir. Gandhi is a seasoned civil engineer with global expertise in design, sustainability, ESG, and asset management within the built environment and transportation infrastructure sectors.

His career is distinguished by a track record in delivering major infrastructure projects through all phases—concept, design, construction, and maintenance—while prioritising sustainable development, digital innovation, and net zero objectives.

Having contributed to high-profile engineering projects in numerous countries, Gandhi brings extensive experience in operations management, sustainable asset management and leading digital and organisational transformations.

His background includes modernising processes, capital expenditure management and contract administration, which complements his ability to oversee complex, large-scale projects.