Dato’ Hamid Ali
Director General of Survey and Mapping Malaysia,
Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia
[email protected]
What is the status of the Department of Survey and Mapping?
JUPEM is the sole governmental body that maintains the Malaysian Spatial Reference Frame for various works such as for cadastral, geodesy, mapping, engineering, scientific, geodynamics and creation of Geographical/Land Information Systems.
What have been the turning points of your department?
Since 1990’s, there have been numerous projects being implemented by JUPEM using GPS technology. We have also completed the adjustment of the precise levelling network in 2002. The initiation of computerisation programme in the early 1980’s was also a turning point for JUPEM. Computer Assisted Land Surveying (CALS), Computer Assisted Mapping System (CAMS) project in 1988, activities in the cadastre and mapping sectors were systematically sped up. In February 2000, JUPEM was awarded the MS ISO 9002 quality certification. We have recently launched the new Geocentric Datum of Malaysia (GDM2000) in August 2003. It is an effort by the department to fit our survey and mapping products into the global geodetic framework.
What is the vision of the Department of Survey and Mapping?
JUPEM has a vision to provide efficient and high quality survey and mapping services and a geographical information dissemination system suitable for national requirements.
What are the main products and services of your department?
The main products and services of JUPEM comprises of mapping products, digital data, mapping services, cadastral products and services.
How accessible are these products to academia and private sector?
It is the government’s policy to provide an open system, which enables anyone to obtain up-to-date survey and mapping information from the JUPEM. The members of the public can purchase all cadastral products, non restricted topographic maps and thematic maps without restriction from the sales counter. Clients can also obtain cadastral products online. In fact, DSMM is the first Government department in Malaysia to introduce e-Commerce, enabling the purchase of digital cadastral data and image of the Certified Plan on the internet.
What has been the modernization efforts in your department?
As part of the modernization efforts, there have been numerous geodetic projects implemented by JUPEM on a nationwide scale. To date, it has been used in the establishment of GPS networks in the Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. Nowadays most precise applications of GPS make use of ‘active’ GPS networks. Thus we have also successfully developed a permanent network that continuously tracks GPS satellites. Our aim is to create a homogeneous national coordinate system across the country, which will be directly compatible with GPS.
What are your HRD strategies?
JUPEM has designed and implemented a Human Resource Development (HRD) Blueprint, to provide its staff with concurrent training to enable them to keep abreast with the advancements.
What role do you see for the private sector?
It is envisaged that more and more of the JUPEM’s functions will either be privatized or contracted out to the private sector. This is in line with government policy to remain agencies as regulatory bodies.
How do you see the potential of geo-informatics market in Malaysia?
The fastest-growing segment of the Malaysian geomatics industry is GIS. With the price of hardware and GIS software declining, and with state and local governments and utility companies facing pressures to find better technologies, it is inevitable that these agencies adopt modern GIS tools for efficient service delivery, strategic planning and administration.
How do you strike balance between security concerns and developmental needs?
JUPEM has endeavoured to introduce the non-restricted topographic maps. However the rights over possession and use of digital data are a matter of concern due to the enormous amount of data in digital form that can be easily made available to users.
