< Previous38 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 Sharing Session on Latest COVID-19 Update in ACF Member Countries 16 AUGUST 2021 4 th IFAWPCA Virtual Executive Board Meeting 18 AUGUST 2021 Thai Contractors Association (TCA) and Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors (VACC). During the session, ACF members shared the latest on the COVID-19 situation in their countries, including the issues or impact to the construction industry, proposal or actions taken by their associations as well as action plans or initiatives taken by their respective governments to help industry players. MBAM representatives who attended the event were ACF Chairman Foo Chek Lee, ACF Secretary-General Eric Yong, ACF Council Members Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin, Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan Khian Leng and Chung Soo Kiong, MBAM Council Members Kenneth Liew, Ir Chee Weng Loon and Ong Ka Thiam as well as members of the MBAM secretariat, Loh Mei Ling, Lee Siew Mei, Mohd Farhan, Muhammad Fadzley, Shirley Foo, Sung Suet Yee and Shahila Atika. The online sharing among ACF member countries was attended by 47 ASEAN Constructors Federation (ACF) members consisting of council and association members from Cambodia Constructors Association (CCA), Indonesian Contractors Association (ICA), Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM), Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Federation (MCEF), Philippine Constructors Association Inc. (PCA), Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL), ACF members during the sharing CIDB Engagement Session with MBAM, REHDA and Other Construction Associations 5 AUGUST 2021 Held virtually, MBAM was represented at the meeting by MBAM President Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin, MBAM Immediate Past President Foo Chek Lee, MBAM Vice Presidents Chung Soo Kiong, Kenneth Liew Kiam Woon, and Eric Yong Shang Ming, MBAM Secretary-General Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan Khian Leng, MBAM Deputy Secretary- General 1 Ir Anthony Teoh Teik Thiam, Deputy Secretary-General 2 Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz, MBAM council member, Michael Yap Kok Wai, MBAM Honorary Advisor Dato’ Tan Kia Loke, MBAM Executive Director Loh Mei Ling and MBAM secretariat staff. Some of the key issues discussed included: • the re-opening of the Malaysian construction industry and related sub-sectors as well as the challenges and issues currently faced; • approval issues with CIMS; • Way forward/proposals to fully open up all related sectors; • vaccination for undocumented workers; • current status of the COVID Act; and • human resource issues, including the Human Resources Development Fund contribution after 31 December 2021 for the construction industry. The Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) will submit a paper to the Economic Action Council (EAC) on the issues raised. Visits & Dialogues VD The 4th International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors’ Associations (IFAWPCA) Virtual Executive Board Meeting was held online to discuss the proposed amendments to the constitution, by-laws and articles of incorporation for the secretariat to proceed with the registration of IFAWPCA in compliance with the Philippines’ law on registration as an organisation. All documents were duly approved by the IFAWPCA board. It was further agreed that a Special Virtual General Assembly will be convened to formalise the said amendments sometime early September 2021. The Board also approved the nomination of Vice Chairman of the Conditions of Contracts Committee, Oliver Wee, as the IFAWPCA Ambassador/Representative to the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). MBAM representatives present at the meeting were IFAWPCA Board Member & Chairman of IFAWPCA Registration Committee Foo Chek Lee, IFAWPCA Legal Advisor John Tong, MBAM President Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin, IFAWPCA Honorary Lifetime Member & Past Secretary-General Datuk Lai Foot Kong, and IFAWPCA Past President Datuk Matthew Tee. Participants of the meeting39 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 MOE Focus Group Discussion (FGD) – Sasaran 4.3 & 4.4 Report Preparation 6 AUGUST 2021 The Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) as the National Focal Point (NFP) for Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) is in the process of preparing the Five-year National Report on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (5- NPR SGD 4) for the 2016 to 2020 period. MOE, with the support of UNICEF Malaysia, has appointed a consultant, PE Research, to prepare the report. As such, they have held several focus group discussions to obtain more comprehensive input on initiatives and programmes implemented by TVET industry stakeholders related to SDG targets 4.3 and 4.4. In this regard, the secretariat for this focus group discussion, Bahagian Perancangan dan Penyelidikan Dasar (BPPDP), MOE called for a virtual meeting on 6 August 2021 to: 1. Understand current trends, achievements and implementation challenges relevant to SDG4; 2. Identify cross-cutting issues affecting SDG4 outcomes, including the COVID-19 pandemic; and 3. Share key recommendations to achieve SDG4 targets by 2030. SDG4 is the education-related goal of the 2030 agenda with the aim to ensure inclusive, equitable high-quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. There are a total of 10 targets (seven outcome targets and three means of implementation) which are as follows: Target 4.1 – free primary and secondary education Target 4.2 – equal access to high-quality pre-primary education Target 4.3 – equal access to affordable technical, vocational and higher education (TVET) Target 4.4 – increase the number of people with relevant skills for financial success Target 4.5 – eliminate all discrimination in education Target 4.6 – university literacy and numeracy Target 4.7 – education for sustainable development and global citizenship Target 4.A – build and upgrade inclusive and safe schools Target 4.B – expand higher education scholarships for developing countries Target 4.C – increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries. Both Target 4.3 and 4.4 are aligned to 3 Malaysian Education Blueprint (MEB) and MEB Higher Education (HE)’s education system aspirations: access, quality and equity. During the earlier discussion, participants were asked to share their aspirations and thoughts on how education in Malaysia can be more inclusive and equitable by 2030 and what cross-cutting issues are surrounding inclusion, quality and equity in TVET, e.g. the supply and demand gap in TVET graduates (skills, number of trained graduates, wages and salaries) and the sustainability of TVET in Malaysia (role of industry in curriculum development, industrial attachment/internship, implementation of TVET programmes). The meeting participants also discussed success stories and best practices, issues and challenges faced and proposed key recommendations in order to move forward in the next 10 years in education. The above meeting was attended by MBAM Education & Special Institutions Committee Chairman Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz with Deputy Chairman III Andrew Ong and Secretariat Jocelyn Ng. Visits & Dialogues VD 53 rd Building Industry Presidents’ Council (BIPC) Meeting 4 AUGUST 2021 Held online, the BIPC meeting was attended by MBAM President Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin, MBAM Secretary- General Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan Khian Leng, MBAM Executive Director Loh Mei Ling, MBAM General Manager Lenny Lim and MBAM Senior Public Relations Executive Officer Chew Chee Yan. In the meeting, Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan Khian Leng highlighted MBAM’s work since the last BIPC Meeting and invited other BIPC Members to join the Construction Industry Vaccination Programme (CIVac). Issues highlighted included initiatives to submit a paper to the Economic Action Council (EAC), discussion with the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) to start reopening the construction industry and the need to continue pursuing the appeal to the government with regards to the implementation of the Human Resources Development Fund levy after 31 December 2021.40 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 Recommendations to Improve COVID Act 829— Dispute Limit Under Pusat Mediasi COVID-19 (PMC) 26 AUGUST 2021 Held online, the meeting discussed the feasibility of removing the RM500,000.00 fee limit for mediation under PMC. MBAM gave the view that construction disputes normally run into millions and to have a limit of RM500,000.00 for mediation does not serve its purpose. Hence, there should not be any limit to the maximum amount for mediation under PMC for the construction industry. Furthermore, the cost of Liquidated Ascertained Damages (LAD) disputes due to COVID-19 and the performance bond value will definitely exceed RM500,000.00 for bigger construction contracts. Ir Anthony shared that Extension of Time should be given to contractors as well without the need for proof and there should be a sharing of the burden in terms of costs such as for insurance, mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic and performance bonds. Representing MBAM at the meeting were MBAM Deputy Secretary-General 1 cum Deputy Chairman of MBAM Contracts and Practices Committee Ir Anthony Teoh Teik Thiam and MBAM General Manager Lenny Lim. Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) was represented by General Manager of Policy and Corporate Sector Che Saliza Che Soh. Also at the meeting were Director (Policy & Research), Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department, Dr Punitha Silivarajoo and Director (Policy and Research) and Manager of COVID-19 PMC, Prime Minister’s Department, Mohd Sufian Musa. MTVET Focus Group on Funding Meeting No. 1 1 SEPTEMBER 2021 The Majlis TVET Negara (National Technical and Vocational Education & Training Council) Focus Group (FG) on Funding Meeting No. 1/2021 was held online with MBAM Council Member Ong Ka Thiam in attendance along with 15 members from organisations appointed by the Prime Minister. Chairing the meeting was chairman of this focus group, Rony Ambrose Gobilee, Chief Programme Officer of HRD Corp. The serving term for this focus group will be from August 2021 to 31 Dec 2022. Attendees of the meeting were briefed on the ‘Empowerment of MTVET through Focus Group’. There were three strategic thrusts, six main initiatives and 13 empowerment strategies set for the empowerment agenda of MTVET. It was noted that there was a total of 1,295 TVET institutions in Malaysia and among them, 633 were operated by the private sector. For the construction sector, 11 Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM) branches were available under the care of Ministry of Works (MOW). There was also a briefing on the TVET Funding Mechanism of HRD Berhad during the meeting. Before the meeting concluded, focus group members were requested to provide feedback on the planned activities of the focus group for 2021 (quick wins) and 2022 (long term) as a way forward. MTVET was formed on 18 Dec 2020 under the chair of the Prime Minister. Among the functions of MTVET are to set the direction in empowering the National TVET agenda, to approve related policies and to coordinate cooperation between ministries and agencies. The FG is responsible, among other things, to study, develop and propose models for solving issues and challenges with regards to TVET teaching, alignment, programmes offered, consolidation among TVET institutions, industry involvement as well as review TVET-related Acts. Visits & Dialogues VD41 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 Input for Budget 2022—National Work Ecosystem Post-COVID-19 7 SEPTEMBER 2021 A discussion was held on issues, challenges and opportunities in the national work ecosystem post-COVID-19 for inclusion into MBAM’s Budget 2022 submission to the Ministry of Finance (MOF). • Extension of time — 167 days was provided to developers but was not granted to contractors in case of late delivery of projects; • Variation of Price (VOP) clause apply to public works projects but not allowed for private projects; • Contractors must still contribute to the Human Resources Development Fund despite the fact that they are already paying project levy to the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) for similar purposes; • Contractors want cost-sharing of COVID-19 compliance costs with other stakeholders as they are bearing the costs in full now; • Contractors want loan moratoriums expiring year-end to be extended to June 2022; and • The imposition of stiff penalties for non-compliance with Act 446 on new minimum standards for workers’ quarters. As a follow-up, MBAM submitted a list of Public Consultation issues to MOF on 15 September 2021, including: • lack of new infrastructure and construction projects; • improvements regarding VOP; • subsidy for COVID-19 mitigation costs; • subsidies and tax incentives for the construction industry; and • tax incentives for digitalisation of the construction industry. The discussion was attended by MBAM Deputy Secretary-General 1 Ir Anthony Teoh Teik Thiam. The meeting was held to submit recommendations to the Economic Action Council (EAC) on the construction industry. Some of the key issues discussed, which were to be included were: • overall rising cost of doing business; • need for more incentives for adopting Industrialised Building System (IBS); • stabilising the price of building materials; • review Act 446 and to propose a different set of regulations for the construction industry; • human resource issues, including the Human Resources Development Fund contribution after 31 December 2021 for the construction industry and the recalibration of workers; and • incentives for green building. MBAM representatives who attended meeting included MBAM President Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin, MBAM Vice Presidents Chung Soo Kiong and Eric Yong Shang Ming, MBAM Deputy Secretary-General 1 Ir Anthony Teoh Teik Thiam, MBAM Executive Director Loh Mei Ling and MBAM secretariat staff. Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (REHDA) was represented by REHDA Deputy President, Datuk Tong Nguen Khoon, REHDA Vice President Datuk Ho Hon Sang, REHDA Kedah/Perlis Chairman Dato’ Rick Cheng Wooi Seong, CEO REHDA Malaysia Aslinda Mohd Noor and REHDA secretariat staff. MBAM and REHDA Discussion on EAC Submission 6 AUGUST 2021 Study Visit to Gamuda IBS 18 OCTOBER 2021 MBAM President Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin led a courtesy visit to the Gamuda Industrialised Building System (IBS) factory in Banting. Seventeen other MBAM council members joined the study visit. Gamuda IBS is an end- to-end digital IBS solutions provider who pioneered digital IBS adoption in Malaysia and leverages on current digital Participants of the study visit design tools and robotic construction to ensure fast construction and high- quality finish. The purpose of the visit was to find out more about the products and services offered by Gamuda IBS as MBAM explore ways to construct the MBAM Training Centre of Excellence. MBAM thanked Vice President Dato’ Ubull Din Om for facilitating the visit. Visits & Dialogues VD42 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 Technical Working Group 03—Digital Talent Committee Meeting No. 1/2021 27 SEPTEMBER 2021 The Technical Working Group 03 (TWG03) Digital Talent committee virtual meeting was chaired by Senior General Manager of Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB), Ir Raslim Salleh. He introduced the TWG03 members, which consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Works Malaysia, Public Works Department, Malaysian Highway Authority, as well as invited companies, universities and associations, including MBAM. Deputy President Oliver Wee represented MBAM at the TWG03. There will be three phases of activities for the working group. Phase one will run from year 2021 to 2025 and will focus on improving and executing strategic basis and initiative, coordinating strategic change management programmes and the establishment of the Teknologi, Pendigitalan dan Inovasi Pembinaan (TPIP) entities. Phase two will run from year 2026 to 2028 and will focus on identifying potentials and then establishing cooperation among local and overseas organisations. Phase three will run from year 2029 to 2030, which will conclude the outcome of the working group. Ir Raslim explained the term of references, objectives and scope of TWG03 to the members. After that the TWG03 secretariat asked members to send in their proposals and feedback on any issues related to TWG03 for them to improve and set a clear direction in realising TPIP entities as well as in achieving all focused items based on the phases. The next meeting will be held after the secretariat has received all proposals and feedback from committee members. Courtesy Visit by H.E. Ambassador Bulat Sugurbayev, Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Malaysia 25 OCTOBER 2021 Meeting in progress H.E. Ambassador Bulat Sugurbayev and Counsellor Samat Zhanabay from the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan paid a courtesy to MBAM to explore business opportunities between Malaysia and Kazakhstan. Both parties took the opportunity to share and exchange information and views on various aspects, in particular, the general construction practices in the Republic of Kazakhstan. At the end of the meeting, representatives from the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan informed that they will arrange a webinar for relevant agencies in Kazakhstan to present opportunities available in Kazakhstan to MBAM members. Present at the meeting were President Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin, Deputy President Oliver Wee, Vice Presidents Chung Soo Kiong and Kenneth Liew, Deputy Secretary-General II Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz as well as Council Members Ir Chee Weng Loon and Nalla Sundran. Visits & Dialogues VD43 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 Discussion on Challenges and Recommendations to Improve COVID Act 829 19 NOVEMBER 2021 Held virtually by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), the discussion was chaired by Immediate Past President and Chairman of PEMUDAH Technical Working Group on Contracting with Government (TWGCG) Foo Chek Lee. Present at the discussion were representatives from construction industry associations and professional bodies. The technical working group (TWG) discussed the scope of the COVID Act 829, which needs to be widened to acknowledge the global effects of the pandemic. Mediation as a means of dispute resolution was also briefly discussed. The TWG suggested the submission of a guidance paper to the PEMUDAH main committee on extension of time and cost sharing, and this will be discussed further in subsequent meetings. MBAM Executive Director Loh Mei Ling and MBAM General Manager Lenny Lim were also present. Foo during the meeting NCOSH Meeting No. 3/2021 (Construction Bureau) 13 NOVEMBER 2021 From left to right: Michael Yap (MBAM), Ir Zailee Dollah (DOSH) and YB Datuk Hj. Awang Hashim The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) Meeting No. 3/2021 was chaired by Deputy Minister of Human Resources, YB Datuk Hj. Awang Hashim and attended by representatives from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and Social Security Organisation (SOCSO). During the meeting, Chairman of MBAM Safety & Health Committee Michael Yap shared the latest MBAM guidelines on safe use of self-climbing perimeter protective screens (SCPPS). Before the meeting concluded, he presented the Top 25 Hazards in Construction Sites safety poster to YB Datuk Hj. Awang and to the representatives from DOSH and SOCSO. Director General of DOSH, Ir Zailee Dollah and Head of Prevention, Medical & Rehabilitation Division, SOCSO, Dr Azlan Darus were also present at the meeting. Discussion during the online meeting focused on occupational safety and health (OSH) programmes for 2021 and 2022 under the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH). The meeting was chaired by MBAM Chairman of MBAM Safety & Health Committee Michael Yap and attended by members from NCOSH, Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC). Also present at the meeting was MBAM Manager Mohd Farhan Mohammad Din. NCOSH Meeting No. 1/2021 (Construction Bureau) 1 OCTOBER 2021 Visits & Dialogues VD44 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 MBAM Dialogue with Malacca Builders Association (MBA) 11 NOVEMBER 2021 Held with the purpose of promoting better understanding and future collaborations towards the improvement of the construction sector, it is hoped that the dialogue will make way for more engagements towards that end. The following subject matters were discussed: • vaccination programme; • Act 446 on worker’s accommodation; • improvements to the Variation of Price (VOP) clause; • long term stabilisation of the price of building materials; • Temporary Measures for Reducing the Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Act 2020 • objection to the Expansion of Human Resources Development (PSMB) Act 2001 to cover the construction sector MBA was represented by President Datuk Louis Lim, Immediate Past President Victor Tan, Secretary Vincent Chee and Treasurer-General Kok Choon Hwee. MBAM representatives included Immediate Past President Foo Chek Lee, Council Member and Co-Chair of MBAM Affiliates Committee Chong Tat Yam, Discussion over lunch Council Member and Co-Chair of MBAM Affiliates Committee Fong Tet Yoong, and General Managers Lenny Lim and Michael Thong. Focus group dialogue in progress United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Focus Group Discussion on Sustainable Finance 25 NOVEMBER 2021 IFAWPCA Finance Committee Meeting 10 NOVEMBER 2021 Chaired by MBAM Immediate Past President Foo Chek Lee, the International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors’ Associations (IFAWPCA) Finance Committee meeting discussed the financial status and the proposed budget of the federation for next year. Present at the discussion were IFAWPCA members, namely Executive Director, Levy Espiritu, Jenny Lee from Construction Association of Korea (CAK), Ng Yek Meng from Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL), Wilfredo Decena from Philippine Constructors Association Inc. (PCA), Liza Ngamtrakulpanit from Thai Contractors Association (TCA) and Chief of Staff, Barry Paulino. Also present at the meeting were IFAWPCA officers, namely President Mohamed Ali Janah, Rapporteur Desmond Hill and 2 nd Vice President Kenneth Loo. Global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent UN Conference of the Parties (COP 26) displayed the importance in financing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, financing the SDGs require significant transformations within the financial system and within entities that own, manage or regulate financial flows and transactions in Malaysia. MBAM’s participation in the UNDP focus group discussion on sustainable finance was represented by Vice President and Chairman of Environment and Green Technology Committee Kenneth Liew, Committee Member Luanne Sieh, Executive Director Loh Mei Ling and Assistant General Manager Lee Siew Mei. The UNDP focus group was split into two breakout sessions, namely financial and industry to discuss some of the key policy, legal, institutional, regulatory issues, financial instrument challenges as well as gaps and opportunities for improving the financing of sustainable development in Malaysia. MBAM highlighted that grants should be given to NGOs and trade associations to conduct more awareness programmes related to sustainability as it was noted that there was a growing interest among industry players. Visits & Dialogues VD46 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 MBAM Scholarship for year 2021— Interview and Assessment Session 19 AUGUST 2021 Due to the pandemic, students vying for the MBAM Education Scholarships were interviewed online instead of face-to-face. In total, 10 students were shortlisted for the MBAM Education Scholarship 2021. The panel of assessors who attended the interview were Honorary Advisor (Education) & Chairman of MBAM Education Fund Board of Management Chua Siow Leng, Committee Members Sr Kwan Hock Hai, Sr Ang Fuey Lin, and Associate Prof. Sr Hasmawati Harun, Executive Director Loh Mei Ling and General Manager Michael Thong. All the students interviewed were from very poor families and were considered deserving of the scholarships. However, due to limited budget for year 2021, MBAM could only provide scholarships to six students. Virtual Workshop on the Development of Guidelines for the Practice of Self- Regulation in the Workplace 7 TO 9 SEPTEMBER 2021 The three-day virtual workshop was held with the objective of discussing The National Master Plan for Occupational Safety and Health for the year 2021-2025 (OSHMP25), which is a government initiative to achieve an inclusive OSH through togetherness and commitment from all parties involved on the concept of self-regulation. Since 2010, three five-year strategic plans have been implemented in the country, namely the Strategic Plan 2010, OSHMP 2015 and OSHMP 2020. To continue this effort, OSHMP 2025 was designed to push the country’s OSH level to higher excellence to protect the interests of the national workforce, which is the most important asset to drive the success of national development programmes and realising the goals of the Vision for Common Prosperity 2030. The Strategic Thrust 2 Implementation Committee, OSHMP25 will develop a comprehensive induction module for OSH (CIM-OSH) aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of existing modules. The CIM-OSH is developed for employees who have an OSH foundation in terms of knowledge, skills and effective training. The programme was hosted online by DOSH Malaysia and attended by Chairman of MBAM Safety & Health Committee Michael Yap and Manager Mohd Farhan Mohammad Din. The chairman delivering his welcome remark Interviewees being assessed Temporary Structural Safety Seminar— DOSH Selangor State Occupational Safety and Health Week 2021 23 SEPTEMBER 2021 MBAM was invited to be on the panel together with representatives from Department of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia (DOSH) and Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH). Chairman of MBAM Safety & Health Committee Michael Yap presented a paper on ‘Cost of Temporary Works Failure in Construction’. The seminar was held online with more than 800 participants, including Chairman of MBAM Safety & Health Committee Michael Yap and MBAM Manager Mohd Farhan Mohammad Din. Officiating the event was Director General DOSH, Ir Zailee Bin Dollah. Presentation by Michael Yap Professional Development PD The attendees at the workshop47 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #123 Lifting Training Supervisor Course 29 TO 30 SEPTEMBER 2021 28 th Intake Day 1 of the training was held online while a physical assessment was held on day 2 at the Merdeka 118 project site. Twenty participants from SediaBena Builders Sdn Bhd attended the session. Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) Chief Executive Datuk Ir Ahmad ‘Asri paid a visit to the Merdeka 118 Project Site to witness the lifting training together with CIDB Senior General Manager Technological Development Sr Mohd Zaid Zakaria, General Manager Safety & Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Ir M. Ramuseren and its officers. Also in attendance were MBAM President Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin, Immediate Past President Foo Chek Lee, Deputy Chairman of Safety & Health Committee Alec Chong, Executive Director Loh Mei Ling and MBAM secretariat staff. CIDB Malaysia released a media statement on the same day to highlight the collaboration with MBAM for the lifting supervisor training as well as the importance of the training in ensuring best safety practices are carried out during lifting activities at construction sites. CIDB Malaysia has been subsidising 50% of the actual fees of the programme and this has benefited around 539 lifting supervisors. MBAM would like to thank WCT Construction for providing the location for the lifting activity and MBAM new member, SediaBena Builders for arranging the programme. 27 TO 28 OCTOBER 2021 29 th Intake The 29 th intake of the lifting supervisor training was held with a total of 20 participants at Gamuda Plant Operator School Shah Alam (GPOS). This was the first full face- to-face training conducted since the announcement of the Phase 3 National Recovery Plan, which allowed face-to-face training. All participants and trainers were confirmed to be fully vaccinated as per the standard operating procedures set by the National Security Council of Malaysia. Day one of the training was conducted in a classroom and focused on delivering technical knowledge for lifting activities, including regulations and legislation, the roles and responsibilities of a lifting supervisor, understanding lifting activities and cranes as well as reading of load charts and lifting plans. Day two of the training and assessment was conducted on the ground with practical lifting activities. Trainees got to apply their technical knowledge in actual lifting actions. Communication with other lifting team members such as slingers, riggers, signalmen and crane operators were carried out effectively and safely during the lifting activities. Participants were required to individually develop their own lifting plan and job safety analysis according to different scenarios developed as part of the assessment. Assessment in progress on the second day of training Effective communication is important for successful lifting activities Professional Development PDNext >