Valuable book on construction contracts launched

Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa (right) receives the copy of the book from author Dr. M. Haris Z. Deen whilst former Minister A.H.M. Azwer looks on

A valuable book titled ‘CIDA Standard Bidding Documents – Procurement of Works – Major Contracts Explained’ authored by Dr. M. Haris Z. Deen was launched at the CIDA Auditorium Sethsiripaya on Tuesday (21). 

Engineer Conrad de Tissera presenting the author and the book said, “There was only one person who could have undertaken a task of this nature and that is of course the author Dr. Haris Deen, who qualified as an engineer first obtaining his JTO certificate from the Ceylon Technical College and later a degree in engineering from the London Westminster Polytechnic (now University of Westminster), an MBA in Operations Management with a commendation for his thesis on ‘Trade marking for global marketing’. His Ph.D in Cost Engineering with a thesis on Private, Government, Peoples partnership in infrastructure development is a model that should be used by our government with advantage.”

The book itself is a massive research project explaining the intricacies contained in the CIDA bidding documents and their application all supported by decided Sri Lankan and international legal cases. Tissera said that the book is not only useful to those professionals in the construction industry but also to students and contractors as well and recommended that every individual in the construction industry should possess one. “Writing a fairy tale is very easy as it comprises of unsupported statements, but writing a book of this nature is certainly a different ball game as it requires tremendous amount of research and substantiation of every statement in the book. Dr. Deen has achieved it remarkably,” concluded Tissera. 

The Chief Guest CIDA Chairman Dr. Michael Joechim was highly impressed with the contents and quality of the book and said that Dr. Deen seems to have ‘jumped the gun’ to produce the book the exact idea of which he was pondering upon to form a committee to undertake. Dr. Deen has made his task easy, and requested Dr. Deen to also to undertake such a study on the CIDA Bidding Documents for Design and Build contracts. Since it is book of immense value and one that deals with explaining CIDA document he offered to promote the book through CIDA.

The Guest of Honour Prof Chitra Wedikkara endorsed what was stated by Conrad Tissera and said that if there was anyone who could have undertaken such a task it could have only been undertaken and achieved by Dr. Haris Deen.

A.H.M. Azwer, former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said that Muslims have been great builders in the past, and one name of fame that even the British would remember was that of Wapche Marikar – the grandfather of the late Moor leader Sir Razik Fareed – who put up magnificent buildings like the Colombo Museum, the General Post office, the Colombo Jetty, followed by Ahamed Lebbe Marikar, SL Saibo  Lebbe Marikar – who built  the famous Red Mosque in Pettah – MI Mohamed, Hameed and Ahamed, Deen Baas and others the like of them. 

The most surprising thing was that these builders earned good reputation from experts and abroad without obtaining any degree from any university. Now it is left to people like Dr. Haris Deen who has thoroughly qualified in architecture and quantity surveying who has come forward to write valuable  books on the subject to inspire younger generation in this trade 

Omar Kamil, former Mayor of Colombo and Municipal Commissioner also addressed the gathering.

Later in the day the book was presented to Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa and Minister of Trade and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen by the author.