Can You Sign?

Yesterday I was called in to rescue my Project Manager and his PR team. A site visit with a certain State Director of a certain government agency went awry. My PM called me to bring in a document to clarify some misunderstanding they had.

Dutifully, I proceed to the site with the required document at hand. On arrival, I was introduced to that Director as a surveyor. "Are you a licenced surveyor?" was the question from his mouth. I'm not. "Can you sign?". Of course I can but not as a licensed surveyor.

In my mind, I can already see how I can run circle around most of those people who can sign in term of experience and knowledge. However, nobody care about experience and knowledge in Malaysia. They just care about whether "Can You Sign?".

And with that I swear not to get my "licence to sign" as a licenced surveyor ever in my life. If they need my experience and knowledge, they will still come to me. My Project Manager does, my project director does, my company director does, a port authority did call me. Hydrographic division of a state Marine department did call me. I think that is enough to show my ability and value. So Can You Sign?