Engineers who go into consultancy need to get their Ir. Like the license to drive, it is the license to be a consultant.
Civil engineers need to be registered as Ir. as they need to deal (as in getting approvals) with the government authorities all the time - approvals for buildings, structural and civil works. Construction works cannot be carried out without all the approvals.

Electronic engineers generally do not have to deal with the authorities much. Electrical engineers especially dealing with power have to deal with the TNB and Telekom. Mechanical engineers deal with the Machinery Dept and Fire Dept.

You need more than Ir to get contracts from the Government. You need the kulitfication and connections.

This post has been edited by tehtmc: Jan 31 2012, 12:59 AM

It is more like certifying and undertaking the responsibility.
If anything goes wrong, as in a building collapse, he is fully liable and can even to jail in other countries (not so much in Malaysia lah).
The approving authorities are the government.