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At the Dewan Rakyat yesterday:
Bringing designers under Architects Act
NST 13/12/2006
WHAT do interior designers have to do with architects?
More than one would think, said Works Minister Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu, who
had to defend his ministry’s decision to bring interior designers under the
Architects Act.
He said the interior design sector was undergoing change due to increasing
demand from property owners who were becoming more discerning.
Samy Vellu said interior designing was a profession that was regulated as
compared with interior decoration, where everybody was his own master.
"There is a definite difference between interior designers and interior
decorators."
He said this when replying to points raised by MPs during the debate on the
Architects (Amendment) Bill 2006.
He said the move to bring interior designers under the Act was to streamline
and ensure better monitoring of the industry.
He said the idea to bring their affairs under the Architects Act was also
mooted by the Interior Design Institute of Malaysia and the Malaysian
Institute of Design.
Several MPs, especially Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam), had argued against
the inclusion and wanted to know why there was a need to regulate the
interior design sector.
Samy Vellu said the amendment did not mean that interior designers would
take orders from architects. He said the job scope in interior design
involved many aspects, such as safety and health.
As such, there was a need to ensure standards and professionalism, he added.
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