08.01.1990
Disk 55

There is reason to rejoice. M.A. has just completed a scheduled, uninterrupted and continuously improving series of six (6) issues for the year 1989. It has set a milestone in the history of PAM.

M.A. would like to thank all members who had contributed articles, projects, comments and assistance towards M.A. As it was said before M. A. belongs to PAM membership and its success depends on PAM members contributing towards it. The Editor-in-Chief’s role is but a small one. He would be unable to make M.A. a success without continued support from membership.

M.A. is the vehicle for members to show what they have achieved. We look forward to a successful 1990 with more projects from members to be featured in M.A. With the picking up of the building industry boosted by the re-energizing of the economy ought to produce a much larger crop of new work.

 

Comments to Criticism

Like anything new in the market there were comments and criticism about M.A. 1989 on how it is run, what is being featured, etc; It is difficult to satisfy all membership at large. Some members may have felt that certain projects ought not to have been featured for various reasons. Regrettably, due to lack of contributions from membership or inability of members to fulfil ‘promised’ materials for publication on time that the Editorial board had to resort to hastily substituted materials for inclusion. It has always been said that it is easier to sit back and criticize but when asked to contribute, the same person is always unavailable.

 

Materials for M.A.

The following categories of building types were featured in 1989 M.A.: –

• Shopping complexes;
• Banks;
• Recreational clubs;
• Individual and repetitive housing;
• Tourist resort and resort orientated buildings;
• Review of PAM’s Building Award 1989

It is hoped that with continued support from membership with enough selection of design work will be submitted for publication.

M.A.’90 will also hope to feature more work from the chapters. Although the response had not been click here very good the Editorial Board are still seeking out projects for publication. If all fail, the Editorial Board may seek a budget from Council for the employment of a “Private Eye” to detect and select projects for M.A.

The lack of response from members may also be a direct result of ‘shyness’ and possible ‘lack of confidence!’ The Editorial policy set out for M.A. had been to publish and record as many works of members as possible for historical record. Therefore, there is no question of bias as to whose architecture is better and whose work ought to be and not to be published. As a further improvement and widen interest M.A. ’90 will be featuring under ‘PROFILE’ – practices that are in Malaysia. Letters of invitation have already been sent out and to date received only one response. This issue 1:90 M.A. will feature the firm Kumpulan Akitek under PROFILE; and on PROJECTS REVIEW we are featuring ‘Urban Hotels’ with the recently completed Hilton Hotel of Kuching and the new Regent of Kuala Lumpur. There are, of course, the ‘prima donnas’ who may feel that their work is too good for the M.A.
Anyway, enough is said to prod our members to contribute.

 

Sponsorship and Supporters

M.A. takes this opportunity to thank our financial supporters, contributors, subscribers and readership at large for your support. We look forward to your continued confidence and will endeavor to maintain and improve the standard and quality of M.A.

That M.A. is appreciated and well received by readership at large is demonstrated by the large number of unsolicited letters, some of which are published in this issue. There is always room for improvement and we welcome comments and guidance from our membership that the M.A. will be continuing success.

The Editor-in-Chief on behalf of the Editorial Board, wishes all members and friends a Happy and Prosperous New Year and may the Year of the Horse, gallops in the economic revitalization so desperately needed by the Building Industry in Malaysia.