THE ORGANISERS
Since its inaugural edition in 1994, the MRC has been jointly held with the Ministry of Works, Malaysia and the departments under its wings and either the World Road Association (PIARC) or the International Road Federation (IRF). The 11th MRC saw collaboration with the IRF.
Ministry of Works
This is a ministry of the government of Malaysia. It is a professional service ministry charged with the responsibility of providing technical services encompassing among others, design, construction and maintenance of roads and highways and the provision of mechanical and electrical services. The departments and boards under its wings include the Public Works Department, Malaysian Highway Authority, Construction Industry Development Board, Board of Engineers, Board of Architects and Board of Surveyors.
Road Engineering Association of Malaysia (REAM)
The Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA) was formed in 1973 with a permanent secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The REAAA (Malaysian Chapter) was established in 1993 to facilitate technology transfer at local and international levels. In 1997, the REAAA (Malaysian Chapter) was renamed Road Engineering Association of Malaysia (REAM) to meet national aspirations via its:
Vision: To be a lead organisation to influence and provide direction to the road industry in Malaysia and
Mission: To be Malaysia’s road industry leader and referral centre.
International Road Federation (IRF)
The IRF is a non-governmental, not-for-profit membership organisation founded in Washington, DC in 1948 with the mission to encourage and promote the development and maintenance of better, safer and more sustainable roads and road networks around the world.
The IRF has a major role to play in all aspects of road policy and development worldwide:
For governments and financial institutions, the IRF provides a wide base of expertise for planning road development strategy and policy.
For the private sector, the IRF is a business network, a link to multilateral institutions, such as United Nation agencies and the World Bank, and a platform to access government officials and decision-makers.
For the community of road professionals, including national road associations, engineering societies, advocacy groups and institutes of higher learning, the IRF provides an invaluable information and knowledge platform.
With a wide network spanning 118 countries across six continents, the IRF believes that it can make a difference by providing best practices and expert advice to face today’s multifaceted world of transport.
The earlier two editions of the MRC in 2014 and 2018 were held in collaboration with the PIARC Technical Committees.
PIARC in brief
The forerunner of the renamed World Road Association, Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC), was established in Paris in 1909. Though a name change had taken place, the acronym PIARC had been retained. Today, more than a century later, this association has over 121-member countries worldwide, including Malaysia. PIARC is dedicated to foster and facilitate discussion and knowledge sharing on roads and road transport and retains consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
Vision
PIARC will be the world leader in the exchange of knowledge on roads and road transport policy and practices within an integrated sustainable transport context.
Mission
PIARC exists to serve all its members by:
being a leading international forum for analysis and discussion of the full spectrum of transport issues, related to roads and road transport,
identifying, developing and disseminating best practice and giving better access to international information,
fully considering within its activities the needs of developing countries and countries in transition,
developing and promoting efficient tools for decision making on matters related to roads and road transport.
Values
PIARC's values are:
to provide universal quality service to its members,
to be open, objective and impartial,
to promote sustainable and sound economic solutions,
to recognise road transport in an integrated transport and land use context,
to be customer driven,
to respect the differing international road transport needs.
To achieve these aims, PIARC:
creates and coordinates Technical Committees,
organises a quadrennial World Road Congress, a quadrennial Winter Road Congress and various technical seminars and
publishes a large number of documents including a quarterly magazine