< PreviousIndustry & Practices IP MBAM Awarded the National Occupational Safety and Health 2020 & 2021 Award 11 NOVEMBER 2022 The National Occupational Safety and Health 2020 & 2021 Award Ceremony event, hosted by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH), was held on 11 November 2022 at the Mövenpick Hotel & Convention Centre KLIA. The highlight of the event was MBAM being awarded the National Occupational Safety and Health Award 2020 & 2021 for the Non-governmental organisation (NGO) category by NCOSH. The NGO category award was first introduced in 2019 and MBAM is currently its second award recipient since its inception. The award is awarded to NGOs that have demonstrated an excellent track record in occupational safety and health management. This prestigious award is a reflection of MBAM’s continuous efforts in promoting a safe and healthy work culture in the workplace through the various OSH seminars, OSHCIM and safety related workshops it has organised over the years. MBAM is also at present working together with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) to promote the implementation of Occupational Safety and Health in Construction Industry (Management) (OSCHIM). The award ceremony was attended by a number of MBAM representatives namely, MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; Deputy President, Kenneth Liew; Vice President, Dato’ Ubull Din Om; Secretary-General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz; Council Members, Michael Yap, Nalla Sundran, Alec Chong Sun Park and Ng Han Seong; Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling; Assistant Manager, Shirley Foo; Public Relations Executive, Farah Alia; Graphic Designer cum Photographer, Shahila Atika. 48 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #126to 4 October 2022). One of the main highlights of the OSH Seminar roadshow was on 23 May 2022, when MBAM, together with Technological Association Malaysia, launched the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Self-Climbing Perimeter Protective Screens (SCPPS). Mohd Anuar bin Embi, who was then the Deputy Director General (Occupational Safety) of the Department of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH), and presently the Director General of DOSH, was invited to officiate and launch the guideline. The SCPPS guidelines are supported by DOSH, SOCSO and Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB). Industry & Practices IP 29 & 30 MARCH 2022 MBAM Annual Safety & Health Conference 2022 and 10th MBAM Safety & Health Awards 2022 The MBAM Safety and Health Committee organised the MBAM Annual Safety & Health Conference 2022 with the theme “Construction Safety – Beyond Compliance in the New Dawn”. MBAM was honoured to have the Head Division of Prevention, Medical and Rehabilitation Division of Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), Dr Azlan bin Darus, representing the Chief Executive of SOCSO, was the guest of honour and officiated the event. The highlight of the conference was the presentation ceremony of the 10 th MBAM’s Safety & Health Awards 2022. The winner of the MBAM Golden Award for Leadership in Safety & Health was Prof. Ir. Haji Omar bin Mat Piah, and the MBAM Safety & Health Award for Site Personnel was won by Ling Lee Yong. MAY, JUNE, AUGUST, OCTOBER The 8 th MBAM Seminar on Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) and Workshop on OSHCIM – Accident Prevention by The Industry for The Industry Together with MBAM affiliate members – The Johor Master Builders Association, Sabah Builders Association, Penang Master Builders and Sarawak Building and Civil Engineering Contractors Association (SBCECA), the MBAM Health & Safety Committee had organised a series of Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) Seminar roadshows: Johor (23 to 24 May 2022), Sabah (16 to 17 June 2022), Penang (25 to 26 Aug 2022) and Sarawak (3 12 AUG 2022 First Safety & Health Committee Meeting for the New Term (2022-2024) The new committee members for the Safety & Health Committee for the term 2022 – 2024 were selected. There are a total of 17 committee members for the new term. 29 AUG 2022 OSH Week Closing Ceremony 2022 The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) organised the closing ceremony of OSH Week 2022. Held at Bloomsvale Sales Gallery, the ceremony was officiated by Datuk Haji Awang Hashim, Deputy Minister of Human Resources. The Chairman of MBAM Safety and Health Committee, Michael Yap attended the event. Among those who attended was the Director of the Construction Safety Division, Ts Nazruddin bin Mat Ali; Director of Petroleum Safety Division, Ir Mohd Rosdee bin Yaacob; Director of DOSH Kuala Lumpur, Ir Zamzurin bin Maarof; Director of DOSH Selangor, Bahrudin bin Mamat and Director of DOSH Johor, Husdin bin Che Amat. 30 AUGUST 2022 Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety & Health (COSH 2022) COSH 2022 was organised by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on 29 2022 Report—MBAM Safety and Health Committee Key Activities From Top: OSH Johor; OSH Sabah, OSH Penang, OSH Kuching 49Industry & Practices IP to 30 August 2022 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The theme of the conference was “Resilience Towards New Challenges”. Chairman Michael Yap was invited as a panellist for the forum, together with Deputy Director General of DOSH, Mohd Anuar bin Embi and Head of Prevention, Medical and Rehabilitation Division of SOCSO, Dr Azlan bin Darus, on 30 August 2022 with the topic “OSHA 2022 – Way Forward for OSH in Malaysia”. MBAM was also invited to the closing ceremony which was officiated by the Chairman of NIOSH, Datuk Wilson Ugak Anak Kumbong. 7 SEPTEMBER 2022 NCOSH Meeting (No 2/2022) NCOSH held their second and last meeting for the year 2022. The meeting was chaired by YB Datuk Haji Awang Solahuddin bin Hashim and attended by Chairman of Safety & Health Committee, Michael Yap. 27-29 SEPTEMBER 2022 Workshop on OSHMP25 ST6 Chairman Michael Yap attended the workshop organised by DOSH on OSHMP25 TS6, from 27 to 29 September 2022 at the RHR Hotel Kajang. OSHMP25 Strategic Thrust (ST) No. 6 was “Enhancing OSH through Technology”, the programmes under ST 6 are “Smart workplace development centred on IR 4.0”, “Technological ecosystem development in OSH” and “OSH risk management through digital technology”. 11 NOVEMBER 2022 National Occupational Safety and Health Award 2020/2021 Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) was awarded the National Occupational Safety and Health Award 2020 & 2021 for the Non- governmental organisation (NGO) category by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH). The National Occupational Safety and Health Award Ceremony is an annual event organised by the NCOSH aimed at providing recognition to individuals, employers and NGOs from various industrial sectors that have excelled in areas of occupational safety and health in the workplace. 13 DECEMBER 2022 Workshop & Launch—Research Report on the Economic Justification of OSH Programs in the Construction Sector This workshop and launch was organised by the Ministry of Manpower of Indonesia, Directorate General of Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health. The Director General of Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Development, Ministry of Manpower of Indonesia, Haiyani Rumondang, officiated the event. MBAM represented the ASEAN Construction Federation (ACF) to be in the panel discussion alongside with Chamber of Commerce of Indonesia (KADIN), the Ministry of Public Works and Housing Indonesia and the Institute of Labour Studies, Department of Labour and Employment of the Philippines. Chairman Michael Yap represented MBAM to share and exchange views on the findings and recommendations on the cost and benefits of OSH in the Malaysian construction sector. < continued from previous page COSH 2022 Chairman of MBAM Safety & Health Committee, Michael Yap MBAM President Oliver HC Wee (fourth from right) receiving the National Occupational Safety and Health 2020 & 2021 award from the Director General of DOSH Malaysia, Tuan Mohd Anuar Bin Embi 50ZOOMLION PILING MACHINERY EXPERTS OF OVERALL SOLUTION OFFERING IN FOUNDATION Rotary Drilling Rigs|Full Rotary Casing Machine|Hydraulic Static Pile Drive|Boring Machinery VISION CREATES FUTURE Zoomlion Heavy Industry (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. Add: Lot 9, Jalan Anggerik Mokara 31/47, Kota Kemuning, Seksyen 31, 40460 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Email: enquiry.my@zoomlion.com Website: en.zoomlion.com Phone: 03 8604 4366/ 012 398 0157Industry & Practices IP 45 th IFAWPCA Convention 15-19 NOVEMBER 2022 President Oliver HC Wee led a 21-member MBAM delegation to the recent 45 th International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors’ Associations (IFAWPCA) Convention. The convention has held on 15 to 19 November 2022 in the Maldives, and was hosted by the Maldives National Association of Construction Industry (MNACI). The convention was delayed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is the first time in IFAWPCA history for the Maldives to host an IFAWPCA Convention. The 45th edition of this convention featured the theme of ‘Construction with Conservation – Build a Better World’, as was widely attended by over 300 delegates from 19 countries across the Asian and Western Pacific region. Vice President of the Republic of Maldives, Faisal Naseem, highlighted in his address that the construction industry’s adoption of green technology will help to fight against climate change. Whilst the Maldives is witnessing a massive construction boom, it is also extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels because of its low terrain. The President of the Republic of Maldives, H.E Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, attended the welcome dinner to meet with IFAWCPA members. Traditionally, the convention is well attended by prominent players in the construction industry, as it affords attendees the opportunity to meet and network with local contractors and businessmen, as well as other IFAWPCA members in the building and construction industry. President Oliver HC Wee attended the IFAWPCA Presidents’ Conclave to deliberate on how to improve the organising of future conventions, as well as to share ideas to improve and upgrade the construction industry. Current IFAWPCA President Mohamad Ali Janah also announced the Emerging Young Leaders programme, which kicked off at this convention. This programme aims to nurture and encourage more young leaders to participate in the construction industry. Chief Delegate and MBAM Secretary-General Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz delivered the country report at the First General Assembly. The IFAWPCA Executive Board also proudly announced the successful registration of IFAWPCA Inc., with special thanks to the Finance Committee Chairman Foo Chek Lee and IFAWPCA Legal Advisor John Tong, for their commitment and contribution for the said task. MBAM Past President Foo Chek Lee chaired the Finance Committee. Overall, the IFAWPCA accounts were in order. President Oliver HC Wee was also nominated to take over the chairmanship of the Conditions of Contracts Committee, for which he proposed more educational programmes on construction contracts related topics be conducted for the benefit of members. Meanwhile, MBAM Immediate Past President Tan Sri Sufri Mhd Zin was tasked to chair the Builders’ Award Committee, which evaluates and finalises the Awards to deserving MNACI members for the Building and Civil Engineering categories. Mohamed Ali Janah was announced as the recipient for the YTL-IFAWPCA Excellence Award, which was established by Past President, the late Tan Sri’ Dato’ Seri Dr Yeoh Tiong Lay. This award seeks to honour the outstanding contributions made by an individual in the Asian and Western Pacific construction industry. The award was presented by President Oliver HC Wee on behalf of the YTL family. The highlight of the event was the Panel speakers for segment 2 at the Panel Discussion Builders Award Committee Meeting in progress, chaired by Tan Sri Sufri Mhd Zin 52 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #126Industry & Practices IP MBAM Officials at the Opening CeremonyPresentation to Datuk Matthew Tee, President of 44 th IFAWPCA Convention Presidents Conclave meeting awards and recognition were presented to : 1. MBAM – being the host nation for the 44 th IFAWPCA Convention, received by President Oliver HC Wee 2. Datuk Matthew Tee – being the IFAWPCA President at the 44 th IFAWPCA Convention 3. Ir. Chuan Yeong Ming – being the IFAWPCA Secretary-General at the 44 th IFAWPCA Convention (represented by Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz) 4. Ong Ka Thiam – Attending five IFAWPCA Conventions Immediate Past President Tan Sri Sufri Mhd Zin was also nominated to be a board member representing MBAM in the 46 th IFAWPCA Convention, taking the baton from Past President Foo Chek Lee. The swearing-in session was conducted during the 2nd General Assembly led by the outgoing President Mohamad Ali Janah. The next 46 th IFAWPCA Convention is set to be hosted by the Federation Contractors Association of Nepal, on November 2023 in Kathmandu Nepal. Rabi Singh, the FCAN President, is now the IFAWPCA President with Birendra Raj Pandey assuming the role of IFAWPCA Secretary-General. On the other hand, the 42 nd IFAWPCA Mid-Term Executive Board Meeting will be hosted by the Mongolian National Construction Association (MNCA), slated to be sometime between 15 to 20 June 2023 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Panel discussion session that was held on 17 November 2022 that focused on the ‘Construction, Investment and Economic Outlook in the Asia Pacific Region’. The Panel discussion was moderated by IFAWPCA and MNACI President Mohamed Ali Janah. The focus of the first segment was on Maldives, while the second segment was on the Asia Pacific Region. Past President Datuk Matthew Tee was invited as one of the panel speakers for the second segment. He shared some of his views on the future economic situation, the rising global inflation, construction supply chain in the post pandemic situation and more. During the Second General Assembly and closing on the final day of the convention, the following 53 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #126Visits & Dialogues VD The dialogue and dinner session with PKIM was held on 10 August 2022 at the Royal Club Selangor, and was attended by MBAM President Oliver HC Wee; Secretary-General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz; Council Member, Alec Chong and General Manager Lenny Lim. PKIM President Dato’ Sri Sukumar Subrayelu, who is also an MBAM Council Member, chaired the dialogue. Among the issues discussed included updates on human resources current issues, Variation of Price for Government contracts, call to contractors to adopt modern technology, digital construction, Industrialised Building System (IBS), robotics and automation, as well as CIPAA and ESG matters. MBAM President Oliver HC Wee (middle) with PKIM President Dato’ Sri Sukumar (left) and MBAM Council Member, Alec Chong (right) Dialogue & Dinner with Persatuan Kontraktor India Malaysia (PKIM) 10 AUGUST 2022 Discussion with Housing Industry Stakeholders 10 AUGUST 2022 Dialogue with Segamat Builders Association (SBA) & SBA 50 th Anniversary Ceremony 27 AUGUST 2022 MBAM Secretary-General Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz attended the event at the Pulse Grande Hotel, Putrajaya. Deputy Minister of Finance I, YB Dato’ Indera Mohd Shahar bin Abdullah, chaired the meeting. The issues raised by Datuk Astaman under the Post COVID-19 recovery budget included proposals to do away with the quota for foreign workers; reduction or abolishment of taxes for two to three years for construction equipment; Incentives or grants for adoption of IBS/BIM; and to do away with the need to contribute to HRDF, as contractors are already contributing to CIDB Malaysia for the same reason. The discussion proved to be a great opportunity for MBAM to engage with the Ministry of Finance to share recommendations for the improvement of our construction industry. Datuk Astaman with YB Dato’ Indera Mohd Shahar A group photo to commemorate the occasion MBAM Vice President, Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan Khian Leng; Deputy Secretary-General 2, Fong Tet Yoong; Council Member, Lee Eam Hooi; and General Manager Lenny Lim attended the dialogue on the invitation of the Segamat Builders Association (SBA), on 27 August 2022 at Restaurant Seong Hai Kee. Key SBA members in attendance included SBA President, Tan Boon Lye and General Affairs Chairman, Shia Sheng Hong. Many questions were answered by MBAM representatives including on the issues of human resources and the recruitment of foreign workers. Other matters raised including building material prices and Variation of Price, contractual matters and green cards for workers. MBAM Vice President Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan (third from left) In the evening, Dato’ Sri Eric Kuan Khian Leng delivered his speech on behalf of MBAM. Also in attendance was State Assembly Member for Jementah, Johor, YB Ng Kor Sim and Member of Parliament for Sekijang, Johor YB Hajjah Natrah Ismail. SBA has been a member of MBAM since 2005. 54 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #126Dialogue with Penang Master Builders 24 AUGUST 2022 Meeting—Bank Negara Malaysia 20 OCTOBER 2022 Dialogue with Building Materials Distributors Association of Malaysia (BMDAM) 11 OCTOBER 2022 This dialogue took place on 11 October, 2022 at the MBAM Office, Tan Sri Datuk Tee Hock Seng Conference room. Delegates from BMDAM were BMDAM President, Lim Chun Heng; Secretary-General, Thomas Tuan Kit Kwong; Treasurer, Wong Yen Chin; Exco Members, Yong Chau Meng, Su Ming Keat, Lim Huck Seng and Chan Chee Yen. Representing MBAM were MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; Deputy President, Kenneth Liew; Vice Presidents, Eric Yong and Richard Wong; Secretary-General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz Deputy Secretary- General 2, Fong Tet Yoong; Material Resources Committee Member, Koay Chee Seng; Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling; General Manager, Lenny Lim; and Assistant General Manager, Lee Siew Mei. MBAM representatives discussed matters raised by the participants, which were predominantly about human resources, and matters relating to the recruitment of foreign workers. Subsequent matters discussed included building material prices and price variations, collaborations on N3C, and the expiration of the COVID Act 829. BMDAM reiterated that they are happy with the close collaboration with MBAM, and will continue to work closely for the betterment of the industry. BMDAM has been a member of MBAM since 2015. An online meeting between Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and MBAM was held on 20 October 2022 via Microsoft Teams. MBAM was represented by MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; Deputy President, Kenneth Liew Kiam Woon; Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling; and General Manager, Lenny Lim. Representing BNM were Junaidah Yusof, Deputy Director Financial Inclusion Department; and Karen Lee, Deputy Director Financial Surveillance Department. BNM chaired the meeting. Amongst the topics discussed were the overview of construction economy, matters relating to budget 2023, manpower issues, digital transformation of the industry, the end of the COVID Act 829, and the restructuring of existing loans. MBAM hopes that Bank Negara Malaysia can raise up these issues to the Government via the right channels. A meeting with Penang Master Builders saw the discussion of matters such as the general construction outlook in Penang, foreign labour shortage, transformation of the industry to digital construction, contractual issues related to claims for Extension of Time (EOT) and costs, as well as on how MBAM and PMB can work closely together for the betterment of the industry. The dialogue took place on 24 August 2022 at FUHOUSE, Presenting a token of appreciation to PMB Seberang Perai, Penang. MBAM were represented by MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; Honorary Advisor, Datuk Matthew Tee; Council Member, Alec Chong; and Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling. Amongst the PMB representatives were PMB President, Dato Goh Teng Woo; Past President, Alvin Yeow; and Secretary-General, Dato’ Moh See Eng. A souvenir of appreciation was presented to PMB by MBAM at the end of the session. MBAM President Oliver HC Wee and MBAM Deputy President Kenneth Liew Visits & Dialogues VD 55Visits & Dialogues VD Dialogue— Ministry of Works with Construction Industry Players 6 OCTOBER 2022 MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee and MBAM General Manager, Lenny Lim attended the above meeting held at the Ministry of Works Office on 6 October 2022. The meeting was chaired by the Senior Minister of Works, Malaysia, YB Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof. MBAM raised and submitted the following issues as shown in Figure 1. At the meeting Oliver HC Wee highlighted the challenges the construction industry is facing in bringing in foreign workers. He conveyed his hope the Government can quickly step in to help alleviate the situation, as the shortage of workers is affecting productivity and exposing contractors to liabilities when they cannot deliver the project in time. The industry hopes for a solution for all the challenges faced by the construction industry and MBAM hopes the Ministry of Works will bring up the matters raised to the Government for relief and assistance. 56 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #126Visits & Dialogues VD FIGURE 1 Isues Submitted to the Ministry of Works Insufficient Foreign Labour Lack of VoP in Private Projects Expiration of Act 829 Lack of Digitalisation in Construction Economy Incentive on Projects that Utilise Industrialised Building System (IBS) Urgent Call for Additional Budget to Pump Prime Construction Economy Import Duties High for Construction Machineries There is insufficient foreign labour in the industry. There is a variation of price provision in government contracts but none in private contracts. Act 829: temporary measures for reducing the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Act 2020 ends on 22 October 2022. This in turn will add costs and cause a waste of time through the legislative process and so on. We also expect that in such a situation, small -sized companies will be at risk of closing due to lack of funds, thus contributing to unemployment and an increase in abandoned projects. It is high time the Government assist the construction industry with more subsidies and incentives to aid digitalisation and to help make up for the lack of foreign construction labour. There is lack of incentives for projects that utilise IBS. As the country moves into the third year of the 12 th Malaysia Plan in 2023, more can be done to pump prime the economy. This will create more jobs and volume to help the construction industry. GDP growth is projected to go up by 11.5% in 2022, based on the Economic Outlook 2022 published by the Finance Ministry in October 2021. However, in the first quarter the construction sector contracted by 12.2% and the second quarter saw a contraction of 7%. More public projects expenditure allocation must be given with projects pushed out quickly to ensure the construction industry will benefit. Most construction machinery in Malaysia are old and some are more than 20 years old. Due to the high construction machinery tax which sometimes exceeds 20%, industry players do not invest in buying new machinery. We hope the Ministry can step in and expedite the process of bringing in more foreign labour for the industry. Contractors doing private projects are hoping that such provision can also be provided under their contracts. We hope the government can provide a guideline to assess reasonable extension of time (EOT) or cost-sharing on expenses strictly due to COVID-19 for private projects since it is an unprecedented event for everyone. Contractors should adopt modern technology. The industry should invest on technologies and innovative ideas, constructability in terms of alternative materials usage, construction methods and design as well as robotics and automation involvement in order to be more productive and competitive. As such, the Government should also provide grants to assist for contractors on their digital transformation. To encourage utilisation of IBS on projects, government should give incentive to manufactures of IBS, installers and developers whom are willing to adopt IBS. Without adequate financial support, it is difficult to persuade developers to utilise IBS in their projects. Initial spending has to be made to the manufacturers of IBS projects before any progress in the payment is made. In general, IBS manufacturers are required to advance approximately 75% of the capital to manufacture the IBS components before delivering these components to construction sites. There must be more budget allocation in 2023 for public expenditures on projects as the budget allocated for the year 2022 is insufficient to drive upwards the economy. We urge the Government to provide specific subsidies and tax reduction incentives for new construction machinery and smaller equipment and tools with new technologies and safety features to promote the development of industrialisation and automation in the construction industry. This can reduce dependency on large quantity of manpower and at the same time increase the productivity rate of the construction industry and reduce the number of unwanted accidents at construction sites. These tax reductions and incentives must include construction machinery spare parts. ISSUESUGGESTION 57 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #126Next >