< PreviousCourtesy Visit & Meeting—Ministry of Works Deputy Secretary- General (Management) & CIO 2 DECEMBER 2022 The above meeting took place on 13 December 2022 at The Everly Putrajaya. MBAM was represented by MBAM Deputy Secretary General 1 and Contracts and Practices Chairman Ir Anthony Teoh at the session. Some of the changes deliberated included to carry out pre-purchase building surveys of building conditions through inspection and checking, the checking of procedural requirements of drawings and buildings to ensure compliance with by-laws and regulations, as well as other recommendations. Discussion with Ministries, Local Authorities and Industry Players on Suggestions to Changes to the Registration of Engineers Act 1967 13 DECEMBER 2022 A courtesy visit and meeting was held on 2 December 2022 with YBhg Dato’ Ahmad Nadzri bin Embong, MOW Deputy Secretary-General (Management) & CIO, at the Ministry of Works Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee and ICT- Automation-Robotic Chairman, Alex Liew, visited and invited YBhg Dato’ Ahmad Nadzri to deliver a keynote address for MBAM’s Webinar on Digital Transformation Journey Session 3 “Construction Industry Digital Roadmap & Cybersecurity” which was held on 7 December 2022. MBAM also invited YBhg Dato’ Ahmad Nadzri to be the guest of honour and deliver a keynote address for another seminar in March 2023. MBAM President Oliver HC Wee hopes that MBAM and MOW will closely cooperate moving forward to raise awareness of the latest updates on policies, as well as to collaborate in training and seminars aligned with Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) and Construction 4.0. Visits & Dialogues VD 38Technical Visit—East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) Project Section 7 14 DECEMBER 2022 The Machinery Resources Committee organised a technical visit to the ECRL Project, Section 7 at Bentong, Pahang on 14 December 2022. The 32-person visit was led by MBAM Secretary General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz. Other Council Members in the delegation were Deputy Secretary General 2, Fong Tet Yoong, and alternate Council Member, Lau Ping Hui of Satujaya Sdn Bhd. The delegation was warmly received by Zong Qi, Executive Project Manager of ECRL Project, Section 7; Jiang Qianlu, General Manager; and Mao Hui, Deputy Manager of China Communications Construction Company (M) Sdn. Bhd. The objective of the visit was to keep our members abreast with the latest technologies employed in the construction of the 665km double-track railway link infrastructure project that connects Port Klang on the Straits of Malacca to Kota Bharu in northeast Peninsular Malaysia – connecting the East Coast Economic Region states of Pahang, Terengganu, and Kelantan. Participants were briefed on the construction of the ECRL project and learned of contemporary advanced tunnelling technologies such as the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which was used to excavate the twin-bore Genting Tunnel portion of ECRL, the biggest exercise of its kind in South- East Asian works. Participants also had an opportunity to hear directly from the professionals involved, with regard to the engineering challenges of this complex tunnelling and rail link project, as well as its operation, maintenance, safety, environmental and social impact. Visits & Dialogues VD 39 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #127Courtesy Visit by Sabah Builders Association (SBA) 15 DECEMBER 2022 SBA was represented by SBA President, Henry Tsen; Deputy President, Johnny Wong; Secretary General, Chaw Zi Der; and Committee Member, Charles Tsen. MBAM was represented by MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; Secretary General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz; and Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling. SBA introduced their recent jointly-organised event which was the Sabah Construction & Machinery Expo 2023. An introductory video of the expo was shared. Other matters such as the current foreign labour shortage, raw material price hikes and more were discussed during the meeting. Courtesy Visit—YB Dato’ Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Minister of Works at the Ministry of Works 29 DECEMBER 2022 The above visit was led by MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; Immediate Past President, Tan Sri Sufri Haji Mhd Zin; Vice President, Richard Wong; Secretary General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz; Vice President, Eric Yong; and Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling. Some of the issues discussed included:- 1. Impact left by COVID (Disputes and Liabilities) 2. Fluctuation of Materials Prices and proposed solutions 3. Shortage of Labour 4. Shortage of Projects 5. Shortage of Funding Gaps 6. Compliance Costs MBAM sought the Minister’s and the Government’s immediate intervention to help the Malaysian construction industry face the challenges mentioned earlier. The much-needed assistance from the Government will help contractors to complete projects on time and to avoid termination or abandoned projects. Organised by MBAM Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Committee, a technical visit to ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd was conducted on 21 December 2022. A talk on Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solutions and the requisite infrastructure was also held during the visit. MBAM Deputy President and Chairman of the M&E Committee, Kenneth Liew, thanked ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd for their assistance in arranging the technical visit and talk. He added that with the influx of EVs, the infrastructure to accommodate EVs in residential and commercial projects is ever more pertinent. Hiew Thian Wai from ABB Malaysia introduced their ABB E-mobility solution for EV charging infrastructure and services. He also elaborated on the differences between AC and DC charging, and also the Combined Charging System (CCS), which is also referred to as “Combo” or CCS-2 in Europe. He also shared the e-mobility solutions landscape for cars and fleets in regards to their application, charging times, and power options from home and office to highway rest stops and petrol stations. Hiew also talked about the electric bus revolution and introduced the concept of overnight charging (at the depot) and opportunity charging (on route or at the end stop) for electric buses. Technical Visit to ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd & Talk on EV Charging Solutions and the Requisite Infrastructure 21 DECEMBER 2022 Visits & Dialogues VD 40 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #127Focus Group—Development of Malaysian Sewerage Industry Guidelines for SPAN 28 DECEMBER 2022 A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) between MBAM and consultant Jil & Associates Engineering Sdn Bhd (on behalf of the National Water Services Commission) was held on 28 December 2022 to facilitate the development of the Malaysian Sewerage Industry Guidelines (MSIG), Volume 1 – Planning Principles and Tools. Present at the discussion representing MBAM were Past Vice President, Dennis Tan; Committee Members Norman Wong and Gan Wah Lian; Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling; and General Manager Lee Siew Mei. Jil & Associates Engineering was represented by Punita Nook Naidu, Aminah Abd Rahman, Shameera Natasah, Chow Yian Peng, and Amirah Soraya. Dennis Tan welcomed the team from Jil & Associates Engineering and highlighted that MBAM has always welcomed the opportunity for dialogues with Government bodies or representatives before new rules or regulations are gazetted. Broadly speaking, MBAM’s main concern is the cost, as some of the proposals may increase the cost of construction and the overall cost of doing business. Eventually, any additional costs will be passed down to the end user. Additionally, the guidelines outlined need to be clear to provide an equal playing field for the industry. In order to ensure key stakeholders’ expectations are managed and issues are addressed appropriately, MBAM highlighted some of the pertinent issues covering the four (4) sectors below: 1. Sector 1: National/International Development Planning Goals — Sharing and discussing planning- related doctrines, policies, plans, guidelines, indicators, and designs, that are relevant in helping to set the objectives/ goals for the future sewerage ecosystem in Malaysia. 2. Sector 2: Technical and Administrative Matters — Technical Matters which cover sewage characteristics, PE tabulation, population growth assumptions, STP siting/ build-up area, and buffer zone requirements. Administrative matters will consist of sewerage infra-development models. 3. Sector 3: Future Strategic and Green Objective — Developing a framework for the national sewerage planning criteria considering future strategic and green objectives. Scenario analysis for achieving the target of limiting warming to 1.5°C, taking the 2030 and 2050 decarbonization pathways into account. 4. Sector 4: Economic Context – Whole Life Cycle Cost (WLCC) — Impact and relevance of existing planning framework of >150 PE to provide STP. Identifying key risk drivers that impact WLCC and prioritisation, taking into consideration the financial, social & environmental aspects. Visits & Dialogues VD 41 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #127REHDA Institute— Roundtable on Cost of Doing Business 12 JANUARY 2023 The Ministry of Finance called for a meeting on 17 January 2023 in preparation for the tabling of the 2023 Budget, which was scheduled for 24 February 2023. The previously tabled Budget under the previous administration had a RM372.billion allocation. This budget was however not approved following the dissolution of the 14th Parliament to make way for the 15th General Election (GE15). Attending the meeting for MBAM was President, Oliver HC Wee. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, with the objective of obtaining views from various organisations including Non- Governmental Organisations. According to the Prime Minister, digital advancement, small and medium enterprises, and the green economy would be the focus of the revised 2023 Budget. He also stated that some parts of the budget that was tabled previously would remain, while changes would be made to other parts. Budget Dialogue 2023 24 FEBRUARY 2023 MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee and General Manager, Lenny Lim, attended this recent roundtable organised by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia (REHDA) Institute. The REHDA Institute released a research report last year entitled “Housing Forward: Understanding Costs and Sustainable Prices” — which detailed many issues relating to the high cost of doing business and included transformational recommendations. Chairman of REHDA Institute, Dato’ Jeffrey Ng Tiong Lip, said in his speech that in light of the current issues still being faced by the industry, including the rising cost of materials, labour shortage issues and rising cost of living, the Institute had decided to organise this high-level roundtable discussion with industry players. President of REHDA Malaysia, Datuk NK Tong, moderated the event. MBAM provided their views at the roundtable, including the need to further implement IBS for the construction and property development industry. Visits & Dialogues VD 42 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #127Visits & Dialogues VD Courtesy Visit from Safety Glass Processors Association of Malaysia (SGPAM) 9 FEBRUARY 2023 Courtesy Visit from Persatuan Kontraktor India Malaysia (PKIM) 15 FEBRUARY 2023 PKIM made a visit to MBAM recently, with the primary objective to have an engagement and introduction with the newly appointed PKIM President and office bearers. Subsequent matters discussed included foreign labour hiring process, and other construction-related matters. PKIM was represented by its President, Datuk G. Janathanan; Deputy President, Dato Segaran; Vice President, Datuk Ganesh Muraj; Vice President, Sarawanan; Secretary, Ir Thayalan; Assistant Secretary, Richard; and Treasurer, Ananthan. MBAM was represented by President, Oliver HC Wee; Secretary General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz; Deputy Secretary General 2, Fong Tet Yoong; Fellowship, Social & Recreation Committee Chairman, Alec Chong Sun Park; Fellowship, Social & Recreation Committee Deputy Chairman, Nalla Sundran; Outreach Committee Deputy Chairman, Shafidz Iswandi Azhar; Council Member, Au Yong Yoke Lin; Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling; and General Manager, Lenny Lim. SGPAM made an official visit to MBAM recently and was represented by SGPAM President, Lim Le Kern; Secretary, Jesmond Khor; Immediate Past President, Sim Chee Liang; and Office Manager, Brian Gan. At hand to receive them were MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; Secretary General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz; Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling; and General Manager, Lenny Lim. The primary objective of the meet- up was to encourage SGPAM to join MBAM as an affiliate member, and to highlight the benefits of membership. Subsequent matters discussed included topical challenges such as foreign labour shortages and raw material price hikes. Both MBAM and SGPAM representatives came away with the consensus that collaboration between both organisations will see mutual benefit and betterment of the industry. PKIM President, Datuk G. Janathanan Attendees at the meeting Courtesy Visit from L2-Icon 17 FEBRUARY 2023 L2-Icon made a courtesy visit to MBAM to explore potential collaboration between the organisations. L2-Icon was led by Managing Director of L2-Icon International, Cindy Wong; Secretariat, Shalenny Carino; and Legal Plus Director, Catherine Eu. Attending from MBAM were MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee, and General Manager, Lenny Lim. 43MBAM made an official visit to the Court of Appeal Judge Yang Arif Dato’ Lim Chong Fong on 23 March 2023 at the Court of Appeal, Istana Kehakiman, Precint 3, Putrajaya. The MBAM delegation comprised of President, Oliver HC Wee; Deputy President, Kenneth Liew; Secretary General, Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz; Treasurer-General, Yeoh Keong Yuan; and Executive Director, Loh Mei Ling. MBAM took the opportunity to update Yang Arif Dato’ Lim on the latest developments in the construction industry, particularly of MBAM’s efforts in promoting mediation. Visits & Dialogues VD Courtesy Visit by Glodon Asia 16 MARCH 2023 Courtesy Visit to the Court of Appeal Judge 23 MARCH 2023 Glodon Asia paid MBAM a courtesy visit on 16 March 2023. Led by Glodon Asia, Deputy Managing Director, Andy Zhang; and Country Director, Joyce Chan, the meeting provided a chance for MBAM to share their knowledge on the local construction sector. MBAM informed Glodon Asia of this year’s MBAM OneBuild – the International Construction & Infrastructure Technology Exhibition that is scheduled for October 2023. Andy Zhang detailed Glodon’s initiatives and solutions, and invited MBAM to its 2023 Glodon AEC Connect Day, which will be held on 30th March 2023. Glodon Software Sdn Bhd has been an active member of MBAM since 2016, and MBAM reiterated its wish that Glodon will help contribute to being a strong partner in encouraging the Malaysian construction industry as a whole to embark on the digital transformation of their businesses. MBAM was represented by its President, Oliver HC Wee; General Manager, Lenny Lim; and Manager, Muhamamad Fadzley. Oliver HC WeeGlodon Asia Deputy MD and Glodon Country Director 44 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #127MBAM SAFETY & HEALTH PROGRAMME JOURNEY 2002 Annual Safety & Health Conference Site Safety Supervisor Annual Safety & Health Awards Scaffolding Competency Seminar on Occupational, Safety & Health (OSH) Penang Seminar on Occupational, Safety & Health (OSH) Johor (Johor Bahru) Seminar on Occupational, Safety & Health (OSH) Sarawak (Kuching & Miri) 201120122013 201920172015 Trained 4,285 participants Designated Person (DP) on Concreting Supervisor Trained 181 participants Trained 644 participants Designated Person (DP) on MEWP Trained 37 participants Designated Person (DP) on Lifting Supervisor Trained 1,125 participants 2014 20 YEARS MBAM SAFETY & HEALTH7 DECEMBER 2022 Seminar—Digital Technology Utilisation and Industry Skills Needs The Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO)/the Skills for Prosperity Programme in Malaysia (SfP-Malaysia) recently initiated the cooperation for the formulation and implementation of the Digital Talent Development Roadmap. As part of this strategic cooperation, this knowledge- sharing seminar was held on 7 December 2022 with the aim to obtain a deeper understanding of how industry is utilising the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) or digital technologies, what skills are required to promote the adaptation of these technologies, and how TVET/ skills training programmes should be improved by incorporating current and future skills needs. Alternate Council Member Ts Tan Hui Ling was one of the presenters at this seminar, and he presented on the practical experience in the adaptation of IR4.0/digital technologies, such as BIM and automation in the construction industry. 14 FEBRUARY 2023 Webinar—QLASSIC and Building Defects Professional Development PD The recent webinar on QLASSIC and Building Defects saw a huge turnout of 352 attendees. The current trend for home buyers is to hire building inspectors as soon as they take vacant possession of their property to look for flaws, which will soon be covered in colourful stickers indicating the various ‘defects’. Unfortunately, contractors are usually wrongly blamed in such circumstances. These building inspectors may incorrectly advise house buyers by improperly relying on benchmarks such as the Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) – a method used to evaluate the overall quality of work in construction projects, based on standards set according to the construction contract specifications, and not for use for individual homes. This webinar provided a platform for members to highlight the challenges they face on this issue, and to learn from the views of the invited speakers and panelists. The event also saw an interactive Q&A session before Ar Anthony Lee delivered the closing speech. The speakers were: General Manager, Safety and Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Department, CIDB, Muhammad Farid A Hamid; Group Chief Operating Officer and Transformation Officer of Bina Puri Holdings Berhad and Managing Director of Architect Centre Sdn Bhd, Ar Anthony Lee; and General Manager, Head of Contract Department, Inta Bina Sdn Bhd, and MBAM Contracts and Practices Committee Member, Lee Yih. 46 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #1277 DECEMBER 2022 Webinar—Digital Transformation Journey Session 3 – Construction Industry Roadmap & Cybersecurity The MBAM ICT-Automation-Robotic Committee successfully organised this webinar on 7 December 2022. MBAM Council Member cum Chairman of ICT-Automation-Robotic Committee, Alex Liew thanked all participants and YBhg Dato’ Ahmad Nadzri bin Embon, Deputy Secretary General & CIO, Ministry of Works (MOW), for his keynote address for the webinar. Digital transformation is needed in the construction industry, in order to remain relevant and competitive. But among the challenges faced is in the area of cybersecurity. YBhg Dato’ Ahmad Nadzri, in his keynote address, shared the National Digital Transformation Plan, which is Malaysia’s Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDigital), a plan to accelerate the economy of Malaysia towards a technologically advanced economy. The MOW also introduced an Organisation Strategic Plan 2021-2025 and the Digitalisation Strategic Plan 2021-2025 to upgrade ICT infrastructure, increase online services, accelerate the adoption of emerging digital technologies, and to utilise ICT to develop digital application systems. He added that there are challenges to overcome such as high costs, availability of reliable infrastructure, and readiness of the workforce. Next was Ts Sazali Sukardi, Senior Vice President, Strategic Research, of CyberSecurity Malaysia, who delved into the topic of cybersecurity in a world of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity), where current and emerging trends of technology will lead to an increase of cyber threats due to the highly interconnected environment. It is forecasted that by 2025, cybercrime will cost losses of up to USD 10.5 trillion annually. Intrusion, intrusion attempts, and Denial of Service (DOS) attacks were the top three cyber incidents reported to CyberSecurity Malaysia as of 30 November 2022. He noted that it was important for organisations to be cyber resilient – the ability for an organisation to resist, respond and recover from the threats that will impact the information they require to do business. Hon Fun Ping, Chief Executive Office of Netassist (M) Sdn Bhd was up next. His keynote touched on cyber threat trends and myths. He shared statistics on the biggest business risks in 2022 by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, of which the top three were cyber incidents, business interruptions, and natural catastrophes. He further explained why many advanced security solutions fail, typically due to the wrong selection of defence systems and human behaviour. Last but not least was Chee Yih Tzuen, CIO of IJM Corporation, who gave his perspective on cybersecurity. He provided statistics from Kroll Inc. which showed that the construction industry was amongst the top impacted sectors in terms of ransomware. He also noted that the construction sector still has a low level of digitalisation relative to other sectors. However, as an organisation embarks on its digitalisation journey, it must consistently identify, categorise and protect its mission-critical data, take a layered security approach, and have detection and also remediation strategies in addition to protection. MBAM hopes that this webinar has provided its members with a broadened perspective on the topic of digital transformation that also takes into account the importance of cybersecurity. Professional Development PD 47 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #127Next >