Brunei - Women engineers making their mark in Brunei

Discovering multiple ways to solve a problem

FOR a civil engineer working in Brunei's Public Works Department (PWD), the challenges of discovering multiple ways to solve problems keeps her excited about her profession.

In a discipline that is traditionally defined as a "man's world", Hjh Siti Aidah Hj Mohammad has patiently worked her way up from being a civil engineer to her current position as the acting assistant director of building services in PWD.

Her passion for Engineering began when she developed a taste for Maths, Physics and Chemistry subjects during her 'O'-levels (which she then pursued for her 'A'-levels as well).

Speaking like an engineer who is passionate about her work, Hjh Siti Aidah confessed to The Brunei Times that what basically attracted her to this discipline is in discovering various ways of resolving a problem and the challenges she is constantly faced with in her work.

"You're given a problem and you try to solve it," she explained, "(every engineer will) use different ways to solve (this problem), because different engineers or different designers have (their own) ways to solve the problem."

"Sometimes one engineer would put one column here", she said, "another might add a cantilever (instead)."

Her particular academic interests in Maths and Physics at the secondary school level eventually propelled her to undertake a Civil Engineering degree course overseas.

During her third year studying Civil Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University, she participated in a one-year-long industrial training in Leeds, whereby upon her graduation, she was offered a job by an Engineering firm in the United Kingdom (UK).

Hjh Siti Aidah said that she was tempted to take the job initially because "it is not easy to get a job outside of Brunei". "They have called me for an interview and they (even) gave me an offer letter to work with them," she said.

"At that time, (the salary) was about £1, 000, (which is) equivalent to $3, 200 a month."

"It's not just about the salary," she added, "it was the challenge."

Thinking of her family, Hjh Siti Aidah decided to decline the offer. She also wished to give back to her country.

Upon her return to the Sultanate and her entry into the PWD in 1992, she began her training to be accredited as a Chartered Engineer.

"We were the first batch to actually go for the training (scheme) and in 1996, most of us sat for the exam and passed," she said.

She added that with this professional qualification, any local engineer can actually work outside of Brunei because of the international recognition as a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineering (MICE) in the UK.

"(When) I started working in 1992 in the structural section of the PWD, (the focus) is more towards building and supervision of (the construction sites)," she continued.

"I spent most of my time there, about ten years (before) I was transferred to the building section, (which) is more towards the maintenance of building."

"In 2006, I did my Masters (in Civil Project Management at Portsmouth University, UK) and coming back (to Brunei) in 2007, I was transferred back to the structural section and then in 2010, back to the building section."

Hjh Siti Aidah said that these transfers are reasonable because "both are actually related ... because once you finish constructing (a building), you actually maintain (this) building."

Speaking about why there is such a small percentage of women in Engineering, she said that that this discipline is still male-dominated in some aspects, particularly on the construction site. "In Brunei, during (my) last 20 years in the PWD, I have only encountered once a lady involved in construction," she said, adding that she is, however, seeing more and more lady engineers doing design work in the PWD's design office.

She also added that both male and female engineers are treated equally, whereby "we are given work and we are given the same amount and (of the) same importance". She also shared with The Brunei Times that some of the challenges she has faced working as a female engineer include doing inspection at high places, going through the jungle and rivers for remote projects and being able to stick to her principles when challenged by a contractor.

"Sometimes some contractors see us women as weak, so some will try to take advantage on the quality of their works," she said.

For female engineers, there is a conscious need to be able to perform as well as their male counterparts and not only that, working on a construction site can be particularly challenging.

She said that to handle and monitor the construction site, a female engineer "needs to have enough knowledge and experiences to back up (her) instructions or decisions".

"(Women in engineering) have to show confidence and knowledge," she added in order to cope with such challenges at work.

Hjh Siti Aidah, who has been involved in the (structural) design of the State Mufti building, the Syariah court, the Lumapas mosque and the Limau Manis mosque, said that to be a successful engineer, a person has to be willing to try new things, be passionate about work and to be able to speak out when necessary.

"I think for women, trying to speak out with knowledge and experience and not just for the sake of talking (in this discipline is a necessary skill)," she explained.

She said that it is important for women to pursue careers in Engineering "to show to the rest of the world that women can enter this career, to (be) better and excel (in a) traditionally man's field."

HJH SITI AIDAH HJ MOHAMMAD

ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF BUILDING SERVICES, PWD

The Brunei Times


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