< PreviousSime Darby Industrial Sdn. Bhd. 198001005436 (59220-K) Tel : +6016 - 299 2020 Email : sdi.care@simedarby.com Facebook Website : @tractorsmalaysia : www.tractors.com.myNew Yew Seng (KL) Sdn Bhd (21637-A) Delivering the Best EST. 1974 Industrial Diesel Supply Meter and Pump Equipment Small Tanks 1,800/3,600 litres Cylinder Tanks 6,000-20,000 litres No. 3 Jalan CJ 1/6B, Taman Perindustrian Cheras Jaya, 43200 Cheras, Selangor www.nysdiesel.com Tel: 6010-370 2626 Fax: 603-9082 9111 Email: nysdiesel@gmail.com Issue #122 Volume 2 2021 2318 18 COVID 19 – Navigating the Challenges 23 IR 4.0 and Its Future in the Construction Industry 28 Meeting—KPKT’s Circular on Application Procedures for Preparing Temporary Workers’ Accommodation Meeting—Safe Climbing Platform (SCP) Guidelines 29 Meeting—Notice of Initiation of Anti-Dumping Duty Investigation: Imports of Stranded Steel Wires for Prestressing Concrete Originating/Exported from the People’s Republic of China 30 Prime Minister Meets Industry Players Meeting with CIDB—MBAM Lifting Supervisor Training Accreditation Online Discussion with MyMudah—Renewal of Contractor’s License 31 Briefing—Safe@Work Request for Urgent Assistance to Resolve Issues Related to the COVID-19 CIMS Work Approval and JTK Approval Process During the FMCO 32 Briefing to Affiliates and Construction-Related Associations—Updates by JTK on Act 446 Implementation 33 Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) 2021 34 67 th Annual General Meeting 35 Virtual Meeting—Contractor Associations and Building Material Suppliers 36 Official International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Contract Users’ Conference Construction Claims and Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference 2021 37 Launching Ceremony—Forum on National Policy on Good Regulatory Practice (NPGRP) InBrief 38 China-ASEAN Building Materials Industry Cooperation Conference Malaysia–Cambodia Construction Business Partnership 39 MPC Meeting with Technical Working Group—Government Procurement Issues and MyMudah Briefing MPC Meeting to Finalise the Action Plan on Improving Efficiency of Regulatory Delivery in Dealing with Construction Permit (DCP) Through Public and Private Sector Collaboration MBAM Meeting with CIOB Malaysia 40 PEMUDAH TWGDCP: Discussion on the Challenges in Obtaining Lift Certificates 3 rd Virtual IFAWPCA Executive Board Meetings 41 Engagement Session for the Study on Impact and Review of Minimum Wages Order 2020 MITI Discussion on MCO 42 PEMUDAH TWGDCP Meeting on Double Contribution of HRDF Funds TalentCorp Online Interview with MBAM on Current Critical Occupations List (COL) 2020/2021 43 Courtesy Visit from the High Commission of the Republic of Maldives, Malaysia Dialogue with Senior Minister of Works on the Rising Price of Building Materials Cover Feature Special Feature Visits & Dialogues Industry & Practices 5339Contents 30382943 44 JTK Meeting with MBAM on Act 446 45 ASEAN-BAC Malaysia Webinar 2021: RCEP and CPTPP as Game-Changers in ASEAN’s Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery 46 PEMUDAH TWGPT Discussion—HRD Corp New Guideline on Training and Extension of Scope Stakeholder Management Meeting—Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) with Industry Representatives and Local Business Councils 47 Meeting—Draft Framework of Cooperation between MBAM and ILO/SfP Malaysia Discussion between REHDA and MBAM—SOP Compliance and Recommendations to Accelerate the Opening of the Construction and Property Sectors 48 Engagement with Leaders of SME Associations and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Inbrief 50 MBAM Site Safety Supervisor (SSS) Course Kuala Lumpur 79 th Intake Meeting—Certified Construction Manager (CCM) Training 51 Webinar—JACTIM on Construction Outlook and Its Challenges Webinar—Versatile Applications of UCO Fibre Cement Board Webinar—Build Better with UAC IBS Wall System 52 Interview Session with MBAM—MyREF & ILO Situational Analysis MBAM Lifting Supervisor Training 26 th Intake 53 PIKOM Digital Summit 2021 Webinar—How BIM is Changing the Construction Industry in Malaysia Construction Association of Bhutan (CAB): OSH Training Programme 2021 54 Webinar on Sustainability in the Construction Industry 55 WIEF thinkTALK Series 2021 (Final Edition): AI and Machine Learning for a Competitive Edge Inbrief 56 What Do Contract Awarders Want? 58 Construction Contract & Management Issues: Mediation 62 Rebar Coupler Systems 68 Quality & Safety: Key to Project Success 70 Upskill Your Workforce 72 Paper, Point Solutions or Platform? 74 Investment Opportunities in India’s Construction Industry 75 New Government Entity Promotes Development in Saudi Arabia 12 Editor’s Note 76 MBAM In the News 14 MBAM Council Members 80 MBJ Advertising Rates 15 MBAM New Members 82 MBJ Readership Survey 16 From the Desk of MBAM President 83 MBAM Membership Application Form Features Regular Sections Professional Development12 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #122 Editor’s Note is published quarterly by the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) No. 2, Jalan 2/109E, Desa Business Park, 58100 Kuala Lumpur. MBJ Editorial Board PRESIDENT Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin PSM, SSAP, DPTJ EDITOR & COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz DMSM COMMITTEE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN Ir Au Yong Yoke Lin COMMITTEE MEMBERS Ng Han Seong Nalla Sundran Hasnah Mohd Ali Andrew Ong Regina Sam William Joseph Alex Choo Candice Cherng Lim Hong Meng EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Loh Mei Ling GENERAL MANAGER Lenny Lim Len Wei SENIOR ASSISTANT MANAGER Mohd Hanif Ismail SENIOR PR EXECUTIVE Chew Chee Yan Publishing Agency Memo Publishing Sdn Bhd ask@memo.com.my Printer Vivar Printing Sdn Bhd Lot 25 & 27, Rawang Integrated Industrial Park, Jalan Batu Arang, Rawang, 48000 Rawang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Publication Disclaimer The publication has been compiled by Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) with great care and we disclaim any duty to investigate any product, process, service, design and the like, which may be described in this publication. The appearance of any information in this publication does not necessarily constitute endorsement by MBAM. There is no guarantee that the information in this publication is free from errors. MBAM does not necessarily agree with statements or opinions expressed in this publication. Copyright Master Builders Journal is the official journal of and published four issues yearly by Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM), and distributed by Central Paper Agencies Sdn Bhd. The Publisher retains the copyright over all materials published in the magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced and transmitted in any form or stored in any retrieval system of any nature without the prior written permission from the publisher. Master Builders Journal Call for Articles Article contributions on topics relevant to the construction industry are highly encouraged. Contact ed@mbam.org.my for more information on requirements or to submit your article proposals for publishing consideration. Greetings readers, I bid you a warm welcome to this Master Builders Journal Issue 122 Vol. 2/2021. As we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic and make necessary adjustments to the way we work, live and play, our continuing concern is the evolving economic and business impacts to the construction industry. The extent of our industry’s recovery remains very much to be seen, as we grappled with an extended movement restriction for much of 2021, and further prolonged disruptions to construction activities as a whole. In view of this, we strive to enlighten our valued readers with news and updates from MBAM as well as the Malaysian construction industry. To that end, our cover story for this issue is on ‘COVID-19 – Navigating the Challenges’ with a feature on ‘IR 4.0 and Its Future in the Construction Industry’. We hope readers will find both articles insightful and beneficial. Further articles from our valued contributors in this issue include a look at ‘What Do Contract Awarders Want?’, ‘Construction Contract & Management Issues: Mediation’, ‘Rebar Coupler Systems’ and ‘Quality & Safety: Key to Project Success’. In this issue, we are also featuring articles on ‘Upskill Your Workforce’, a look at ‘Paper, Point Solutions or Platform?’ as well as country updates on India and Saudi Arabia by MATRADE. We sincerely hope that you will gain insights from this issue and enjoy reading the materials as much as we have enjoyed collating them. As we move into the fourth quarter of the year, it is my hope that there will be more collaborations and further engagements with you using MBJ as a bridge to connect and share with others. I take this opportunity to thank all those who have inspired and assisted the editorial team in this pursuit for excellence, and acknowledge that there remains much to be done. While every effort has been taken to report MBAM activities as accurately as possible we apologise for any errors that remain. We also would like to take this opportunity to ask our readers to continue to promote this journal to your friends and family, and for those who are able, to consider taking up advertisement slots to support our earnest efforts in the publication of this journal. Please do not hesitate to contact the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) Secretariat at ed@mbam.org.my if you have any suggestions or comments for this publication. Yours sincerely, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz DMSM Editor, Master Builders Journal 14 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #122 MBAM Council Members December 2020 – June 2022 President Tan Sri Sufri bin Haji Mhd Zin, PSM, SSAP, DPTJ / Trans Resources Corporation Sdn Bhd Immediate Past President Foo Chek Lee, JMW / Pembinaan Mitrajaya Sdn Bhd Deputy President Oliver Wee Hiang Chyn, AMN, KMN / Tim Sekata Sdn Bhd Vice Presidents Liew Hau Seng / IJM Corporation Berhad Dato’ Ubull Din Om, DIMP / Gamuda Berhad Chung Soo Kiong / Sunway Construction Sdn Bhd Eric Yong Shang Ming / Crest Builder Sdn Bhd Kenneth Liew Kiam Woon / LFE Engineering Sdn Bhd Secretary-General Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan Khian Leng, SSAP / Fajarbaru Builder Sdn Bhd Treasurer-General Yeoh Keong Yuan / Syarikat Pembenaan Yeoh Tiong Lay Sdn Bhd Deputy Secretary-General 1 Ir Anthony Teoh Teik Thiam / Mudajaya Corporation Berhad Deputy Secretary-General 2 Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz, DMSM / Norwest Holdings Sdn Bhd Council Members AI-Ambia Sdn Bhd / Chong Tat Yam Aneka Jaringan Sdn Bhd / Dato’ Ir Tan Gim Foo, DSDK Bauer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd / Ir Au Yong Yoke Lin Bina Puri Sdn Bhd / Png Choon Yam lreka Corporation Berhad / Lau Yew Mun MMC Corporation Berhad / Ir Chee Weng Loon Premier Construction Sdn Bhd / Dato’ Alex Wee Cheng Kwan, DIMP Rooframes Resources Sdn Bhd / Fong Tet Yoong Satujaya Sdn Bhd / Michael Yap Kok Wai Setia Precast Sdn Bhd / Ng Han Seong Sime Darby Industrial Sdn Bhd / Teoh Cy Kuan Sugu Construction Sdn Bhd / Dato’ Sri Sukumar Subrayalu, SSAP Trans Elite Group Sdn Bhd / Tan Zi Ni VSL Engineers (M) Sdn Bhd / Nalla Sundran WCT Berhad / Ong Ka Thiam, AMN ORANGEBEAM Construction Sdn Bhd / Tan Ka Yuen Pertama Crane & Engineering Sdn Bhd / Alec Chong Sun Park Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pembina Malaysia / Sinn Fuh Ming Perak Contractors’ Association / Chong Chee Leong Sarawak Building & Civil Engineering Contractors Association / Ha Tung Ing Honorary Members HONORARY LIFE PRESIDENTS Datuk Lai Foot Kong, PJN, JSM Lai Moo Chan, JMN, KMN HONORARY BUILDERS Lau Mun Cheong, JMN, KMN Tan Sri Datuk Tee Hock Seng, PSM, PGDK, ASDK, JP Dato’ Ir Tan Kia Loke, DSNS, JMN, AMN, AMT, PJK HONORARY ADVISORS Dato’ Ng Kee Leen, DIMP, KMN Datuk Matthew Tee Kai Woon, DPSM HONORARY ADVISOR (LEGAL) John Tong HONORARY ADVISOR (EDUCATION) Chua Siow Leng, KMN HONORARY ADVISOR (TAXATION) Yee Wing Peng Affiliate Members 1. American Concrete Institute Malaysia Chapter 2. Building Materials Distributors Association Of Malaysia 3. Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pembina Malaysia 4. Institut Binabangunan Berkanun Malaysia (The Chartered Institute Of Building Malaysia) (CIOB) 5. Kelab Sosial Lighthouse Kuala Lumpur (The Lighthouse Club Kuala Lumpur) 6. Malacca Builders Association 7. Malaysia Mobile Crane Owners Association (1987) 8. Malaysia Quarries Association 9. Malaysian Occupational Scaffolding Association (MOSA) 10. National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association Of Malaysia 11. Penang Master Builders 12. Perak Contractors Association 13. Perak Plumber’s Association 14. Persatuan Ampunya Jentera Pembinaan Berat Malaysia 15. Persatuan Industri Fasad Malaysia 16. Persatuan Industri Komputer Dan Multimedia Malaysia (PIKOM) 17. Persatuan Kontraktor India Malaysia 18. Persatuan Mesin Angkat & Kren Menara Malaysia 19. Persatuan Pembina Johor (The Johore Master Builders Association) 20. Persatuan Pembinaan Kelantan (Kin Cho Hong) 21. Persatuan Pembinaan Terengganu (Kin Cho Hong Builders’ Guild Terengganu) 22. Persatuan Pemborong-Pemborong Dan Pembekal- Pembekal Barang- Barang Bangunan Kedah 23. Persatuan Rakan-Industri Rekabentuk Dalaman Malaysia (Malaysian Interior Industry Partners) (MIIP) 24. Persatuan Tinsmith Wilayah Persekutuan Dan Selangor (Federal Territory And Selangor Tinsmith Association) 25. Persatuan Tukang Paip Kuala Lumpur Dan Selangor 26. Port Dickson Builders’ Association 27. Sabah Builders Association 28. Sarawak Building And Civil Engineering Contractors Association 29. Sarawak Sibu Division Building & Civil Engineering Contractors Association 30. Segamat Builders Association (1973) 31. Selangor And Federal Territory Builders Association 32. Selangor And Federal Territory Of Kuala Lumpur Kin Cho Hong 33. Selangor Brick Factories Association (Persatuan Kilang Batu-Bata Malaysia) 34. The Electrical And Electronics Association Of Malaysia (TEEAM) 35. The Malaysian Lift And Escalator Association (MALEA) 36. The Malaysian Water Association 15 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #122 MBAM New Members Membership Figures as at 27 th August 2021 16,207 Total outreach including affiliates About MBAM The Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) plays an important role in the development and advancement of the construction industry. For the past few decades, we have represented Malaysia’s construction industry as its voice during various key phases. Dedicated towards promoting and developing the construction industry in Malaysia, MBAM has evolved into a cohesive umbrella organisation. We have earned international recognition through our affiliations with the International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors’ Associations (IFAWPCA) and the ASEAN Constructors Federation (ACF). We have also successfully hosted the 20 th , 29 th and 44 th IFAWPCA Conventions in 1983, 1998 and 2018 respectively. Through the memberships in IFAWPCA and ACF, the MBAM members are part of the international construction fraternity. MBAM is also a member of The Building Industry Presidents’ Council (BIPC), where members comprise of Presidents from Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM), The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM), Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (REHDA), Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) and Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM). The formation of BIPC is a quantum leap in terms of cooperation among the industry players in the country to look into the interest of the construction industry from a wide spectrum of trades. MBAM members are also from entities that are directly and indirectly linked to the construction industry. This includes specialist sub-contractors, building material suppliers, manufacturers and trading companies. With both local and international presence, MBAM is well poised to effectively represent the Malaysian construction industry as a single, unifying voice to the relevant government authorities as well as various organisations and bodies. Ordinary Members 1. Belianemas Synergy Sdn Bhd 2. Fast Flow Malaysia Sdn Bhd 3. Global Titanium International Sdn Bhd 4. Jita Construction Sdn Bhd 5. Mega Empire Builders Sdn Bhd 6. MPDT Capital Bhd 7. Musyati Sdn Bhd 8. New Era Creation Sdn Bhd 9. Perancang Hastama Sdn Bhd 10. Transcendent Power Sdn Bhd 11. VPT Systems Sdn Bhd 12. Wal First Construction Sdn Bhd 13. Awrah Bina Sdn Bhd 14. Bakat Industri Sdn Bhd 15. Conlay Construction Sdn Bhd 16. CTL Bored Pile & Machinery Sdn Bhd 17. Equator Engineering Sdn Bhd 18. Ideaworks Resources Sdn Bhd 19. Ingress Delta Construction Sdn Bhd 20. KLM Construction Sdn Bhd 21. MTL Construction Sdn Bhd 22. Pembinaan Bukit Cheeding Sdn Bhd 23. Pembinaan Impian Sejati Sdn Bhd 24. Pembinaan Shinrai Sdn Bhd 25. Q Steel Engineering Sdn Bhd 26. Rivha Builders (M) Sdn Bhd New Members as at 27 th August 2021 27. Sankyu (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd 28. Seong Henng Engineering Works (M) Sdn Bhd 29. Sg Rambai Earthwork Sdn Bhd 30. Sigmal Construction Sdn Bhd 31. Sri Kim Construction Sdn Bhd 32. Tera Projects & Shipping Sdn Bhd Associate Members 1. Dextra Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 2. Hicharm Technology Sdn Bhd 3. Kee Han Machinery 4. Leon Fuat Metal Sdn Bhd 5. Objektif Tetap (M) Sdn Bhd 6. Procore Technologies, Inc. 7. Saint-Gobain Weber (M) Sdn Bhd 8. Smart Tradzt Sdn Bhd 9. WK & Partners Consult Sdn Bhd 10. Well Prestige Sdn Bhd Graduate Alumni Members 1. Muhammad Fadzley Bin Salim 2. Ong Jia Qi 3. Pooguhaneswari A/P Shanmoganathan 4. Sii Chong Hung 5. Teh Yan Ting 6. Yap Pei Xin16 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #122 From the Desk of Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin MBAM President “ I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate YAB Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, our 9 th Prime Minister, on his appointment to the position as well as the new members of the Cabinet. It is hoped that under his leadership, we will continue to flatten the epidemic curve of COVID-19 and build the nation. ” Vaccination Drive for the Construction Industry During a virtual meeting on 5 August 2021 with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia, Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) and other construction-related associations voiced our objections and pleaded for a full reopening of the sector. We heaved a sigh of relief when the government, in its latest 16 August notice, allowed the full reopening. It stated that the percentage of workers allowed must correspond to the number who have received full vaccination. However, the requirement that workers must be tested once every two weeks will incur heavy costs for contractors and should instead be less frequent, for example once in three months. The CIVac programme initiated by CIDB has helped to speed up vaccination of construction workers. MBAM helped to register 16,319 workers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor for vaccination under Phase 1 of CIVac, which has just completed. Another list of 61,000 workers were registered under Phase 2. MBAM welcomes the government’s decision to vaccinate foreign workers and hopes that they could do it faster and include those whose permits have expired and are stranded here during the pandemic. This would curb the spread of the COVID-19 infection at construction sites and the workers’ living quarters. It is wise not to start arresting undocumented foreign workers as it would drive them to hide or run away from getting vaccinated. MBAM Feedback on Budget 2022 Needs Urgent Action MBAM wishes to reiterate our objections on several pending issues that we felt are unfair to the industry, including issues that would cause an increase in the cost of doing business for contractors. The following were issues included in our submission on Budget 2022 to the Ministry of Finance: • Extension of time of 167 days provided to developers but is not granted to contractors in case of late delivery of projects; • Variation of Price (VOP) clause that apply to public works projects but this is not allowed for private projects; • Contractors must contribute to the Human Resources Development Fund despite the fact that they are already paying project levy to the Construction Industry Development Board for similar purposes; • Contractors want cost-sharing of COVID-19 compliance costs with other stakeholders as they are bearing the costs in full now; and • Contractors want loans moratorium expiring year-end to be extended to June 2022. Happy reading and stay safe! Yours sincerely, Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin PSM, SSAP, DPTJ MBAM President17 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #122 Special Announcements MBAM’s Wish List Budget 2022 Projects to Kick-Start Soon and Expedite Tender Process It is hoped that mega infrastructure projects and construction projects that can help the people such as the construction of roads, affordable housing, bridges, schools and hospitals for year 2022 will be distributed immediately to contractors. Suggestion for more open tenders to encourage fair and competitive bidding. Extension of Moratorium Period for Businesses Extension of moratorium until 30 June 2022 and that the benefits of the moratorium be extended to cover limited companies as well as leasing companies. Easing of Cash Flow Reduce financing cost for construction projects through interest subsidy or Government guarantee for project loans to lower the cost and ensure viability. Government departments to abolish time-consuming administrative procedures and increase business costs especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsidies and Tax Incentives for New Construction Machinery or Machinery Specific subsidies and tax reduction incentives for new construction machinery and equipment with new technologies and safety features to promote the development of industrialisation and automation in the construction industry. These tax reductions and incentives must include construction machinery spare parts. Providing Land for the Construction of Workers’ Accommodation / Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ) Government to provide suitable land to set up workers’ accommodation to accommodate more workers. It is hoped that the Government can help provide infrastructure and facilities such as electricity, water, communication and others. 1 2 3 4 5 Twelfth Malaysia Plan 2021-2025 (RMK-12) A prosperous, inclusive, sustainable Malaysia From the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMK-12) that was announced on 27 September 2021, MBAM is appreciative of the overall plan that has been planned out for the construction industry, which includes some of the following infrastructure projects that are worthy of highlight: • Building of 500,000 affordable housing; • Construction and upgrading of healthcare and school facilities; • Construction, management and maintenance of public sports facilities; • Construction of roads and provision of treated water, electricity and housing to uplift the standard of living of Orang Asli community; • Upgrading and construction of roads and bridges; • Improving the provision of basic infrastructure in Sabah and Sarawak; and, • Accelerating green initiatives in construction sector. Part of the RMK-12 is also to enhance the efficiency of the transport and logistics infrastructure. The Government is looking into streamlining some of the transport initiatives that align with the Highway Network Development Plan (HNDP) 2030 and enhancement of connectivity across regions with priority given to underserved areas in the construction of highways and rail projects. The RMK-12, with a RM400 billion allocation for new and existing undertakings is the country's biggest five-year road map – it is 54% more than the RMK-11 unveiled in 2016 that had set aside RM260 billion. However, most of the projects are considered on-going and expected to be completed within the next few years through RMK-12. Therefore, the industry is still being hopeful for new mega projects to be announced during the upcoming Budget 2022 Tabulation. Aside from that, one of RMK-12 thrusts is to improve technical and vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem to produce future- ready talent that can better meet industry demand. A strong TVET ecosystem will allow the country to effectively address persistent issues such as dependency on foreign workers. Editor’s Note: We will be covering the topic of TVET as part of our feature in the upcoming issue of Master Builders Journal #123. In anticipation of the announcement of the 2022 Budget, the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) has some hopes for the construction industry as follows:Next >