TONY PREENA MISKIN - FAIQS, FIQS (SL), ARMIT.

Tony Preena Miskin is the eldest son of the late Mohammed Jaylan Thassim Miskin and Mrs Sareena Miskin of Horetuduwa Moratuwa.

Tony’s father MJT Miskin , was an Inspector of Police who retired as a lecturer of the Police Training School- Kalutara in 1966. He was born in 1910 and died in 1971.

Tony’s mother Sareena is the eldest daughter of Ahamadon Saed Baharan – Police Bandsman
and Sithy Kathija..

Tony married Jacqueline Fathima Lye ( ANZ Bank -Brisbane ), daughter of Al Haj BMR Lye (Manager Habib Bank Zurich) and Mrs Daneen Lye (nee Jumat) of Nawala in 1975.

Jacqueline died in 1996 in Brisbane , Qld, Australia when she was just 41 years, and was buried at the Mt Gravatt Cemetery. Tony’s only son Imran is an Information Technology graduate of Griffith University in Qld. He is studying for a Masters degree in Commerce, specializing in Professional Accounting at the University of Queensland.

Tony is a Cambrian and a product of Prince of Wales college – Moratuwa and the University of Moratuwa (formerly Inst: of Practical Technology) He is also a Colombo Plan scholar. In 1967 he proceeded on a 6 year scholarship to Melbourne Australia, where he successfully qualified as a Quantity Surveyor at the RMIT University in Melbourne in 5 years. In his final year he undertook further studies in Project Management & Building Economics at the University of Melbourne , Australia.

He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, a Fellow of the Sri Lanka Institute of Quantity Surveyors, and an Associate of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He is also a former Associate of the Australian Institute of Arbitrators and the Institute of Construction Surveyors London

In Sri Lanka, Tony worked at the Buildings Department Colombo (former PWD) and later joined Design Consortium Ltd a leading firm of Architects as a Director. He was also Managing Director of Miskin & Partners -a firm of Arbitrators & Quantity Surveyors and also Director of Project Management Services Ltd, before migrating to Australia in 1991 with his family. He is the only Sri Lankan to be an active Director of Architectural, Project Management & Quantity Surveying Companies, in Colombo.

One of his biggest achievements in the construction industry was the Contract administration & Cost Management of the 5 star Trans Asia Hotel – Colombo which cost Rs 1.5 Billion in 1984. In the final year of this prestigous project, he took over the Project Managers role to finalize the accounts of the 81 separate contracts and resolve major disputes between the Client and contractors. He delivered the goods to the clients satisfaction.

Tony was also a practising Arbitrator, and was also involved in joint Arbitrations with Supreme court Judges, Justice AC Alles and Justice J Seneviratne.

Tony was a prominent member in Sri Lanka’s construction industry from 1973 to 1991.

He is also a former Senior Lecturer of the University of Moratuwa where he lectured Architectural, Quantity Surveying & Engineering students for 14 years.

Tony was also a visiting lecturer at the Open University, Institute of Architects, Institute of Administrative studies Colombo 7, Technical Training Institute Ratmalana and at ICTAD- (Institute for construction, training & development) - Colombo 7.

He is also the author of several Technical papers published in Australia, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Four of these papers were lectures delivered to Professional bodies One in an International Seminar organised by CASLE of London.and held at the BMICH.

One paper titled - “ A glimpse into the History of Sri Lanka “, edited by Professor Nandasena Mudiyanse of the Kelaniya University and published in the Malay Journal- Terang, is perhaps the only attempt by a Malay to tackle such a subject.
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Tony is a pioneer in Quantity Surveying in Sri Lanka and was the General Secretary and President of the Sri Lankan Institute of Quantity Surveyors for several years

Tony played a major role in the establishment of the QS course at the University of Moratuwa and developed the curricula for the course jointly with Professor Siri Caldera , Mr. HD Chandrasena.- Chief QS of the S.E.C. and two English/U.N consultants.

He also took an active part in Malay Community matters and is the author of the Malay Directory published by the Sri Lanka Malay Association in 1990. He was also the General Secretary of the SLMA and the Vice President of the Malay Club – Padang, Colombo 2.
He is a life member of both the SLMA Colombo, and the Sri Lankan Malay Association of Sydney.- Australia.

Amidst the heavy workload, Tony surprisingly found time to be a social worker too, and was a Mental Health social worker at the Mental hospital Angoda, and a member of the Sarvodaya movement for a brief period. In Australia he is a Life Governor of the Royal childrens hospital Melbourne and presently the Overseas Director for the Samanala Childrens Home Balapitiya- Sri Lanka. (a home for orphans)

A fact not known to many is that Tony was also a good all-round sportsman . He captained Tennis, Badminton, & Soccer teams in the PWD/Buildings Dept during his younger days and was also Vice captain of the Cricket team in the various Government Services tournaments. He was a member of Queens club ( Tennis ) and is a Life member of Otters Aquatic club- Colombo 7.
He was also a semi finalist in the All Island Badminton tourney for Novices held at the YMCA.-Colombo in the early 1960’s . In Australia , he represented the Sri Lanka Club of Victoria in Cricket, and was the Club’s Badminton champion for 5 consecutive years..

In Brisbane, Tony is the Managing Director of the property development company; Peak Property Group Pty Ltd. and Managing Partner of Miskin & Henny Partnership – a building firm. Miskin & Henny has Quality Assurance certification AS/NZS ISO- 9002:1994.

Peak Property Group is involved in joint venture construction projects with Neolido Pty Ltd another property development company in Qld, Australia, in which Tony is a shareholder. Having given up Quantity Surveying since migration to Brisbane, he is now involved in the more challenging professions of Project Management and Property Development.. His son Imran is also a Director of Peak Property Group.

Tony is contemplating semi-retirement, to embark on another favourite subject close to his heart- to write a Book on “ The history of the Miskin Family” to some extent a sequel to the international Book titled- “ The World book of Miskins “

6th Jan 2003- Brisbane, Qld. Australia.