Registration of Engineers Act 1967 (Act 138) summary

The Act controls who can legally practise as an engineer, use protected engineering titles, and provide certain engineering services.

The main framework is:

1. Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM)

   • The Act establishes the regulatory framework for the Board of Engineers Malaysia.

   • BEM registers and regulates engineers and engineering practices.

2. Types of registration
   The Act provides for different categories of registration, including:

   • Graduate Engineer (GE)

   • Professional Engineer (PE)

   • Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate (PEPC)

   • Engineering Consultancy Practice (ECP)

3. Becoming a Professional Engineer
   Generally, an engineering graduate first registers as a Graduate Engineer, gains the required professional experience, satisfies the professional assessment requirements, and can then apply for registration as a Professional Engineer.

4. Practising certificate
   Being registered as a Professional Engineer is not necessarily the same as having permission to practise in every capacity. A Practising Certificate is relevant where the Act requires an engineer to be authorised to practise professionally.

5. Protection of engineering titles
   The Act regulates the use of titles such as “Professional Engineer” and “Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate.” A person cannot simply represent themselves using a protected professional designation without meeting the legal requirements.

6. Professional misconduct and discipline
   Registered engineers can be subject to disciplinary action for breaches of the Act, regulations, or professional requirements. Possible consequences can include warnings, fines, suspension, or cancellation of registration, depending on the circumstances.

Why the Act matters

Think of it this way:

Engineering degree → Graduate Engineer registration → professional experience/assessment → Professional Engineer → Practising Certificate (where required)

The purpose is to ensure that people undertaking regulated engineering work have the education, experience, competence, and professional accountability required by law.

Important: The Act has been amended over time, so if you're studying it for an exam, interview, or professional registration, you should use the current consolidated version, not an old 1967-only text.

Absolutely. Below is an exam-friendly summary of Sections 1–35 of Malaysia’s Registration of Engineers Act 1967 (Act 138). I’m using the Revised 2015 version, which BEM currently publishes as the Act, and I’ll keep the language simple. (BEM)

Important: This is a study summary, not a substitute for the statutory wording. For legal or registration decisions, refer to the official Act.

Registration of Engineers Act 1967 — Sections 1–35

Part I — Preliminary

Section	Main subject	Simple explanation
1	Short title & application	The law is called the Registration of Engineers Act 1967. It applies throughout Malaysia.
2	Interpretation	Defines important terms used in the Act, such as Board, engineer, Professional Engineer, engineering consultancy practice, practising certificate, engineering works and other relevant terms.

Part II — Board of Engineers Malaysia

Section	Main subject	Simple explanation
3	Establishment of Board	Establishes the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) as the regulatory body for the engineering profession.
4	Functions of Board	Gives BEM its main responsibilities: registration, regulation of professional conduct, protection of the public, and control of engineering practice. BEM also has powers relating to CPD and professional standards. (BEM)
5	Constitution of Board	Deals with the composition/membership of BEM and how members of the Board are constituted.
6	Meetings of Board	Provides for the Board's meetings and related procedures.

Part III — Registration

This is one of the most important parts for engineering students and graduates.

Section	Main subject	Simple explanation
7	Registration of persons	Provides the framework for registration of persons with BEM, including the different categories of registered persons.
7A	Registration of Engineering Technologists	Provides for registration as an Engineering Technologist.
7B	Registration of Inspector of Works	Provides for registration as an Inspector of Works (IOW) and requirements relating to the role.
7C	Certificate of registration	Deals with certificates issued to registered persons.
8	Restrictions on unregistered persons	Very important. Restricts persons who are not properly registered from carrying out activities reserved for registered persons/professional engineers.
9	Registration of Graduate Engineers	Provides for registration as a Graduate Engineer (GE).
10	Registration of Professional Engineers	Provides for registration as a Professional Engineer (PE).
10A	Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate	Provides the framework for a Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate (PEPC).
10B	Registration requirements	Deals with requirements/procedures associated with registration.
10C	Application for registration	Deals with applications and consideration by the Board.
10D	Registration of PE with Practising Certificate	Provides the statutory basis for registration of a PEPC. BEM specifically identifies a PEPC as a person registered under subsection 10D. (BEM)
11	Cancellation/suspension of registration	Provides circumstances and procedures under which registration may be cancelled or suspended.
12	Appeal	Provides mechanisms for a person affected by a Board decision to appeal.
13	Conditions of registration	Allows the Board to impose conditions relating to registration and certificates. BEM relies on sections 13(2) and 13(3), for example, when setting conditions for certificates. (BEM)

Part IV — Registration of Engineering Consultancy Practices

Section	Main subject	Simple explanation
14	Registration of Engineering Consultancy Practice	An engineering consultancy practice must satisfy the Act's requirements before it can be registered.
15	Certificate of registration	Deals with the certificate issued to a registered engineering consultancy practice.
16	Renewal/continuation	Provides for continuation/renewal of registration and related requirements.
17	Cancellation of registration	Allows registration of an engineering consultancy practice to be cancelled in circumstances provided by the Act.
18	Appeal	Provides an avenue for appeal against relevant decisions concerning registration.

Part V — Professional Conduct & Discipline

Section	Main subject	Simple explanation
19	Professional misconduct	Deals with misconduct by registered persons and the Board's disciplinary authority.
20	Disciplinary proceedings	Provides for proceedings where a registered person is alleged to have breached professional requirements.
21	Disciplinary action	Provides possible disciplinary consequences following the appropriate process.
22	Appeal/review	Provides mechanisms relating to decisions made in disciplinary matters.
23	Protection/related disciplinary provisions	Contains further provisions concerning disciplinary matters and enforcement of the Board's authority.

Part VI — Offences & Penalties

Section	Main subject	Simple explanation
24	Offences	Sets out offences under the Act. For example, knowingly making a false or fraudulent declaration/application to obtain registration is an offence. BEM states that such conduct can attract a fine of up to RM50,000, imprisonment up to 3 years, or both. (BEM)
25	Penalty for certain offences	Provides penalties for specified breaches of the Act.
26	Offences by companies/organisations	Deals with offences involving organisations and persons responsible for them.
27	Offences by registered persons	Deals with offences involving registered persons and professional practice.
28	Continuing offences	Provides consequences where an offence continues after the initial breach.
29	Prosecution	Deals with how proceedings for offences under the Act may be initiated.
30	Power to compound offences	Provides for certain offences to be dealt with by compounding, where permitted.

Part VII — Miscellaneous

Section	Main subject	Simple explanation
31	Protection of Board and officers	Provides legal protection for the Board and persons acting under its authority when acting properly within their duties.
32	Information required by Board	Gives the Board powers to obtain information/documents necessary for carrying out its functions.
33	Regulations	Allows regulations to be made to give effect to the Act.
34	Exemption	Provides for certain exemptions where authorised under the Act.
35	Savings/transitional provisions	Deals with existing rights, registrations, arrangements or matters when changes to the legislation take effect.

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⭐ Sections you should remember for exams

If you're studying this for an engineering law / professional practice exam, don't try to memorize all 35 sections equally.

Focus particularly on:

Section 3 → BEM established

Section 4 → Functions of BEM

Section 7 → Registration framework

Section 8 → Restrictions on unregistered persons

Section 9 → Graduate Engineer

Section 10 → Professional Engineer

Section 10D → Professional Engineer with Practising Certificate

Section 13 → Conditions of registration

Section 14 onwards → Engineering Consultancy Practice

Section 19–23 → Professional conduct/disciplinary matters

Section 24 → Offences and penalties

BEM describes its overall role as registering engineers, engineering technologists and inspectors of works, registering engineering consultancy practices, and regulating professional conduct and practice to safeguard the public. (BEM)

Easy way to remember the structure

1–2 → Introduction
3–6 → BEM
7–13 → Registration of people
14–18 → Consultancy practices
19–23 → Discipline
24–30 → Offences & penalties
31–35 → Miscellaneous

One correction to my previous answer: the current BEM framework includes not only Engineers but also Engineering Technologists and Inspectors of Works, following the 2015 amendments.