TAR UMT professor Dr Ting Kien Hwa receives the first Academia Property Surveyor of the Year Award 2026 from RISM for his contributions to the field.
PETALING JAYA: Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) has celebrated the achievement of one of its academics after Professor PMgr Sr Ts Dr Ting Kien Hwa from the Department of Real Estate, Faculty of Built Environment (FOBE), was conferred the inaugural Academia Property Surveyor of the Year Award 2026 by the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM).
The accolade was presented during the RISM Property Surveying Awards 2026 held on April 21, in recognition of his long-term contributions to property surveying through scholarly research, curriculum leadership and sustained engagement with industry players and professional bodies.
Dr Ting has been involved in real estate education since 1992, building an academic career across both public and private universities in Malaysia.
Before joining TAR UMT in 2023, he served at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) for more than two decades. At TAR UMT, he currently teaches undergraduate and postgraduate programmes while supervising Master’s and PhD research students within the Faculty of Built Environment.
The university said Dr Ting is known for integrating industry experience into his teaching, often drawing on real-world professional cases while emphasising integrity and ethics in the profession.
His influence has also extended beyond academia, with many of his former students now holding prominent industry positions, including the current president of the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVAEP).
“Dr Ting currently serves as deputy president of the Malaysian Institute of Property and Facilities Management (MIPFM) and holds fellowships with RISM, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and MIPFM.
“He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of The Property Manager, recognised as Malaysia’s first professional journal dedicated to property management,” the university said in a statement today.
At the international level, Dr Ting has contributed to the development of property and land measurement standards under organisations including the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
He has represented Malaysia at major international real estate and surveying forums, while also serving on advisory and editorial boards in countries including Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Nationally, he is regarded as one of the pioneering figures in organised property management in Malaysia.
As a founding member of MIPFM, he is credited with introducing the “PMgr” professional prefix used by registered property managers today.
His contributions also include authoring three books on property management and real estate agency, as well as helping draft key regulations such as “Standard 11: Sustainable Property Management” under the Malaysian Property Management Standards 3rd Edition.
Speaking on the future of the profession, Dr Ting said property surveyors are entering a transformative era shaped by sustainability and technological innovation.
“Property surveyors are at a fascinating crossroads. Between the global push for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards and the integration of fintech and proptech, property surveyors are no longer just valuation experts, estate agents or property managers — we are the architects of sustainable futures and the built environment,” he said.
He added that he envisions a future generation of “consultant-technologists” who will combine expertise in artificial intelligence, big data, proptech and fintech to address global housing, environmental and built environment challenges.
“My vision is for surveyors to move beyond traditional professional boundaries and become key strategic advisers who advance the built environment towards greater well-being, resilience and sustainability,” he said.
