SINGAPORE - The number of new professional engineers registered here has hit the highest in the last eight years, with 102 of them receiving their certificates on Saturday (Nov 5).

The new batch of professional engineers from the branches of civil, mechanical and electrical engineering received their certificates from Mr Desmond Lee, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development, at the Professional Engineers Board's Day of Dedication event.

This batch of new engineers was registered from November 2015 to October 2016.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry of National Development added that the Professional Engineers Board will be looking into registering professional engineers in a new branch: chemical engineering.

The board will also look into registering specialist professional engineers in four new specialised branches: lift and escalator engineering; crane engineering; access platform engineering; and pressure vessel engineering.

The ministry said this is part of the board's efforts to strengthen the expertise and capabilities of the profession and support the implementation of new regulatory requirements by government agencies.

President of the Professional Engineers Board Ho Siong Hin said a professional engineer "needs to act with prime regard to the public interest".

"A professional engineer has to bear this objective upper most in his mind and ensure that he carries out his work with knowledge, competence and due diligence."