< PreviousCOVER FEATURE and policies under the purview of the Ministry, such as housing, local government, urban sustainability, and solid waste management. I am serving through MBAM as a member of the Technical Working Group to formulate the National Construction Policy (NCP) 2030 by the Ministry of Works (MOW) Malaysia. Of course, there are numerous other representations, but the key idea is to improve the current industry position for the betterment of the nation. 2) Advocacy for Fair Procurement Practices I led MBAM in advocating for fair and transparent procurement practices, promoting integrity, and reducing corruption in the industry. This effort is aimed at creating a level playing field and improving the overall business environment for our members. 3) Promoted Upskilling of Manpower Recognising the importance of skilled labour, MBAM spearheaded initiatives to promote skills development and attract more young talent to the construction industry. This included establishing partnerships with vocational training institutions and launching apprenticeship programmes to bridge the skills gap. Our partnership with the ILO for the "Skills for Prosperity Programme" is just one such example. Of course, we have other skills development training under the Safety Site Supervisor programme and various other training programmes for our members. We have also emphasised and conducted training on the Certified Construction Manager (CCM) and the Certified Construction Project Manager (CCPM) programmes. Apart from this, we are also collaborating with the Chartered Institute of Building on training initiatives to benefit our members and the nation as a whole. 4) Embraced Technological Advancements I prioritised the digital transformation of the construction industry and encouraged our members to adopt modern technologies such as 18 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #128COVER FEATURE Building Information Modelling (BIM), construction management software, and automated processes. MBAM has organised workshops and seminars to educate members about the benefits of these technologies and provided resources to facilitate their implementation. This approach increases efficiency and streamlines the construction process. During this period, we have also encouraged members to embrace BIM, which is a digital representation of a building project that encompasses its design, construction, and operation. By adopting BIM, members can improve collaboration, reduce errors, and optimise the construction process. My legacy for MBAM and its members is the pursuit of industry excellence, advocacy for fair practices, and fair treatment of contracting parties. I aim to strengthen MBAM's position as the leading construction association in Malaysia and leave behind a more resilient, innovative, and skilled industry for future generations. Well, it's past the one-year mark now, and during this period we have strengthened our position by making efforts to introduce improvements to the CIDB form of contract, and we have commented on the amended version of the CIDB form of Contract 2022 with improvements to the allocation of risk and protecting the interests of contractors. We have also continued to promote mediation using our MBAM Mediation Services Platform. In fact, we have signed a memorandum of understanding between Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) and China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia (CECCM) to promote mediation for resolving contractual dispute issues in the construction industry. The MOU was signed by myself as MBAM President and the CECCM’s Construction Industry Working Committee (CCIWC) President, Lyu En, on February 24. On the international front, I am, through MBAM, the International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors’ Associations (IFAWPCA)’s Ambassador to the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) as well as the Chairman of the IFAWPCA Conditions of Contracts Committee. I recently stepped down as the Chairman of the ASEAN Constructors’ Federation (ACF). These are some of our participations in various regional platforms. Q: The current government is expected to lift up the economy, including the construction industry. What would be your top 3 items on your wish list for the government? A: As a representative body of the construction sector, here is my list of the top three priorities that I believe will greatly benefit the industry and contribute to its growth and sustainability. 1) Industrialised Building System (IBS) We urge the government to continue IBS and provide more tax deductions for expenditures incurred in IBS projects. This will not only benefit the industry but also help push the use of IBS. IBS projects can play a crucial role in affordable housing projects and reduce the dependency on foreign labour. By allocating sufficient funds to IBS, the government can expedite the implementation of key projects involving IBS, which will have a multiplier effect on the construction industry and the broader economy. 2) Regulatory Reforms and Streamlined Processes To enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of the construction industry, we request that the government introduce regulatory reforms and streamline bureaucratic processes. Simplifying and expediting approval procedures, permit applications, and licensing requirements will significantly reduce project delays, enhance productivity, reduce the cost of doing business, and improve the overall business environment. Additionally, establishing a dedicated construction industry regulatory body or task force can facilitate effective communication and coordination between relevant stakeholders, ensuring a smooth flow of information and resolving any issues promptly. 3) Skilled Workforce Development and Talent Retention The construction industry heavily relies on a skilled workforce, and it is crucial to address the shortage of skilled workers and retain talent within the industry. We urge the government to collaborate with educational institutions, vocational training centres, and industry players to develop comprehensive training programmes that align with industry needs. Promoting technical and vocational education and training (TVET) initiatives, offering incentives for upskilling and reskilling programmes, and establishing apprenticeship programmes will attract more individuals to pursue careers in construction and foster the growth of a highly skilled workforce. In conclusion, MBAM believes that by focusing on infrastructure development, implementing regulatory reforms, and prioritising workforce development, the government can create an enabling environment for the construction industry to thrive. We remain committed to working closely with the government to support and contribute to the nation's economic recovery and sustainable growth. Q: As president, you have a lot on your plate. If we may ask, what are the things that are still not achieved that you are still pursuing to be completed? A: Another important milestone is that we just recently had a ground- breaking session for our new building on June 9, 2023, in Persiaran Harmoni. It is our hope that by May 2024, the building for the said project will have been completed and MBAM will have a new head office for its members and secretariat staff. Of course, there are many more goals to achieve for the betterment of the industry, as well as lobbying for more opportunities for the construction industry, which I will continue to pursue until my term ends. 19 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #128COVER FEATURE T he groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by CIDB Chief Executive, YBhg. Datuk Ir Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid, in the presence of MBAM Honorary Life Presidents, President, Past Presidents and Council Members. The event signified a pivotal moment Work on the MBAM’s new building, which will serve as its office and training centre, is set to kick into full gear, with the groundbreaking ceremony recently held on 9 June 2023. MBAM's New Office and Training Centre Groundbreaking Ceremony in MBAM’s collective journey towards the betterment of the construction industry. MBAM President Oliver HC Wee remarked that "MBAM’s new building will not only be a showcase IBS project by using the latest CIDB form of contract as a pilot project, but will also house all our training programmes, inclusive of our mediation services". Close to 60 individuals attended the event, including CIDB Deputy Chief Executive II, Sr Mohd Zaid bin Zakaria; MBAM Honorary Builder, Dato’ Ir Tan Kia Loke; MBAM Honorary Builder, Tan Sri Datuk Tee Hock Seng, MBAM Past President, Datuk Kwan Foh Kwai; MBAM Honorary Builder and Past President, Lau Mun Cheong; MBAM Honorary Life President and Past President, Lai Moo Chan, MBAM Honorary Life President and Past President, Datuk Lai Foot Kong; CIDB Chief Executive, Datuk Ir Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid, MBAM President, Oliver HC Wee; MBAM Immediate Past President, Tan Sri Sufri Hj. Mhd Zin, MBAM Honorary Advisor and Past President; Foo Chek Lee; Representative of MBAM Past President, The Late Dato’ Patrick Wong, Datin Cindy Wong and MBAM Honorary Advisor and Past President, Datuk Matthew Tee. MBAM’s new building is a watershed moment, as it will be the association’s first purpose-built building since its inception. This would not have been possible if not for MBAM’s Honorary Life Presidents and Past Presidents, who have, over many years, helped lay the groundwork for MBAM’s success. For the groundbreaking ceremony, a tree was planted to symbolise the unending growth for the association while it pushes forward towards a greener construction industry, as well as the signing of a plaque and mould print. From left: Sr Mohd Zaid bin Zakaria, CIDB Deputy Chief Executive II; Dato’ Ir Tan Kia Loke, MBAM Honorary Builder; Tan Sri Datuk Tee Hock Seng, MBAM Honorary Builder; Datuk Kwan Foh Kwai, MBAM Past President; Lau Mun Cheong, MBAM Honorary Builder and Past President; Lai Moo Chan, MBAM Honorary Life President and Past President; Datuk Lai Foot Kong, MBAM Honorary Life President and Past President; Datuk Ir Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid, CIDB Chief Executive; Oliver HC Wee, MBAM President; Foo Chek Lee, MBAM Honorary Advisor and Past President; Tan Sri Sufri Hj. Mhd Zin, MBAM Immediate Past President; Datin Cindy Wong, Representative of The Late Dato’ Patrick Wong, MBAM Past President and Datuk Matthew Tee Kai Woon, MBAM Honorary Advisor and Past President 20 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #128Project Brief a MBAM Office and Training Centre COVER FEATURE Top: View of the main entrance (Artist's Impression); Bottom left: Precast concrete is the main material feature of the building (Artist's Impression) The new building will serve as the headquarters and hub for conferences, training and events. It is a purpose-built 2-storey building, with a floor area of 17,646 square feet, on 0.98 acres of land. It features parking for up to 42 cars and 26 motorcycles. Features By employing Gamuda Digital IBS precast technology, the project will serve as a showcase for advanced standards of construction. Among the key features are: — Concrete precast elements utilising “green concrete” for precast walls, columns and slab in combination with steel structure will form the base for the building construction. — Excellent structural wall flatness and squareness with consistent tolerance of 4mm. There is no need for a thick render to achieve the overall unit Key Project Information Location Client Commencement Expected Completion Main Contractor No. of Floors Site area Built-up Area Persiaran Harmoni, Putra Heights Master Builders Association Malaysia 3 rd March 2023 17 th July 2024 Gamuda Industrial Building System (GIBS) 2 0.98 acres 17,646 square feet squareness using GIBS high precision precast components. Nevertheless, the precast walls' external perimeter face is ready for direct finishes application and no need for further rendering treatment to make good the wall waviness. — Reduction of site labour as most casting will be done in a controlled factory environment. — Window opening will be formed within the precast components and is very accurate within millimetres, with only 10mm provision of extra enlargement to facilitate window frame installation. — All the M&E openings, chasing and concealed electrical conduits will be coordinated in the factory based on the coordinated 3D model done using BIM from the approved BIM model and eliminates human error and thus ensuring zero clashes on site. — The precast wall solution also merits additional GBI points. Only green concrete will be used for all the precast components, where the max cement content of 30% will be substituted with PFA (Pulverized Fuel Ash or Fly Ash). 21 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #128COVER FEATURE I joined MBAM in 2010, during Datuk Kwan Foh Kwai’s term as MBAM President, with Yap Yoke Keong as the Secretary-General. MBAM had then only a small secretariat team, comprising 12 staff. There were not too many activities, events, and meetings carried out during the year, with time for a break after each major event. However, we do not have this pleasure now, as we have activities and events throughout the year. Today the MBAM Secretariat has developed and grown to 22 staff in order to carry out various activities of the Association, as well as to provide a higher level of service to its members. I had the opportunity to work with five Presidents, namely Datuk Kwan Foh Kwai, Datuk Matthew Tee, Foo Chek Lee, Tan Sri Sufri Mhd Zin, and Oliver HC Wee, and during the past 13 years of my service with MBAM, I have seen how each of these Presidents, through their leadership, have groomed and moved MBAM forward to what it is today—as a professional organisation that is the prime mover and the recognised voice of the Malaysian construction industry. We started by building the corporate image of MBAM with external organisations and government agencies. We then progressed to develop and improve our secretariat team to be more productive and work as a team for the various activities and events. This team spirit building was also extended to the Council Members, whereby everyone in the association is working as one team to undertake and promote the services of the association at a local and international level. A good showcase of this team spirit was when MBAM successfully hosted the 44th International Federation of Asian and Western Pacific Contractors’ Associations (IFAWPCA) Convention in 2018. The association has also progressed in building up its membership by recruiting more members and reaching out to more stakeholders in the construction industry. To date, we have managed to engage with 38 trade associations related to the construction industry and have reached out to about 16,000 entities in the construction industry throughout Malaysia. MBAM has also embarked on conducting more skills training to help upskill workers and create awareness on the importance of occupational safety and health self-regulatory in the construction industry, both ourselves and in collaboration with other stakeholder organisations. MBAM reached a milestone in uplifting our name at an international level when we signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the International Labour Organisation to jointly conduct the ILO-MBAM-UK Partnership for Enhancement of a Sector Skills Body and Industry-Led TVET Modalities in the Construction Sector. The success of this project will elevate MBAM’s status to be better recognised on the global stage. One of the visions of MBAM is to have our own building. We are now in the process of having that built on our land, located at Persiaran Harmoni, Putra Heights. The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted on 9 June 2023. We hope the new building will be ready by next year to house our Centre of Excellence and Mediation Centre. It will also showcase the use of new technology and green initiatives as the way forward for the industry. It is also our wish that MBAM will be a truly one-stop centre to better serve our members—a data and resource centre, a training centre, a mediation centre, as well as a service-oriented centre. We hope we can continue to be the best platform for our members to network with each other in order to provide more opportunities to drive their businesses to greater heights. Remembering the Past, Strengthening the Future Loh Mei Ling, Executive Director MBAM Secretariat 24 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #128COVER FEATURE Remembering the Past, Strengthening the Future Lenny Lim Len Wei General Manager MBAM Secretariat I was given the opportunity to join Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) in 2005, after being interviewed by Dato’ Ir. Goh Chye Koon, MBAM Past President, in his office in IJM Berhad. My Secretary- General at that time was Wan Chee Leong, who gave me my first briefing on the workings of the association. Looking back on a journey of 18 years, I realised that even as individuals, no firm can succeed alone; in order to stay connected and stay on top of the latest advancements, we need to join groups, associations, and local communities. It not only fosters your development but also broadens your network and aids in your exploration of various other prospects. The same is true for trade organisations such as MBAM that promote networking, market information, and business expansion prospects. It functions more like a community that can bounce back from adversity and offers its members the finest answers. Throughout my tenure at MBAM, I have had the privilege of working in various key areas that have significantly shaped the association's growth and reputation. Over the years, MBAM has established strong ties with the Malaysian government and influential institutions. As a representative of the association, I was given the opportunity to actively engage with government agencies, ensuring that the construction industry's voice was heard during policy discussions and decision-making processes. By actively participating in relevant forums and meetings, we were able to contribute to the formulation of effective policies, resulting in a more favourable business environment for the construction sector. Building positive relationships with the public and stakeholders has been a key focus of MBAM. Through various initiatives such as our Master Builders Journal and communication awareness campaigns, dialogues, and member engagement programmes, we successfully raised awareness about the importance of the construction industry and its contributions to the nation's development. These efforts fostered goodwill and helped create a favourable perception of the construction sector among the public. One of the crucial areas where MBAM has played a significant role is in the establishment and improvement of fair and standardised contracts and practises within the construction industry. By collaborating with industry experts, legal professionals, and stakeholders, we have successfully contributed to the development of robust contract frameworks with the aim of improving transparency, fairness, and dispute resolution mechanisms. M B A M 6 9 T H A N N IV E R S A R Y — 1954 2023 25 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #128COVER FEATURE Remembering the Past, Strengthening the Future Lee Siew Mei, General Manager MBAM Secretariat I have been with MBAM since 2001 and have had the privilege of witnessing and contributing to the association's remarkable growth and development. Throughout my tenure, I have been actively involved in various committees, including International Affairs, Anniversary Dinner, Contracts and Practices, Awards and Constitution, and Environment and Building Materials. Handling international affairs has been a crucial part of my role at MBAM. Over the years, I have fostered relationships with construction industry associations and organisations from around the world, facilitating knowledge exchange, collaborative initiatives, and partnerships. By actively participating in international conferences, seminars, and trade missions, MBAM has established itself as a reputable and influential player in the global construction arena. My involvement in organising the annual Anniversary Dinner has also been a fulfilling task that showcases MBAM's achievements and recognises the contributions of our members. Through meticulous planning and coordination, I believe we have created memorable and impactful events that bring together industry leaders, government officials, and stakeholders. It is my hope that, looking forward, MBAM can further elevate the event by leveraging technology, adding interactive elements, and providing further networking opportunities for participants. Recognising excellence and innovation has been an integral part of MBAM's mission. As part of the Awards and Constitution Committee, I have witnessed the transformation of MBAM's awards programme into a prestigious platform that celebrates outstanding achievements in the construction industry. To foster further growth, MBAM can expand the award categories to encompass emerging areas such as sustainability and digitalisation. With the increasing focus on sustainable construction practices, the Environment and Building Materials Committee that I have been a part of plays a crucial role in guiding members towards environmentally friendly solutions. Through research, education, and advocacy, we have successfully raised awareness about green building practices and supported the adoption of eco-friendly materials. There is still much to be done though, and MBAM is moving forward with further collaboration with government agencies, industry partners, and research institutions to develop industry-specific sustainability guidelines, conduct training programmes on green building practices, and promote the use of sustainable building materials. As a whole, my journey with MBAM has been an enriching experience filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and contribution. By actively engaging in international affairs, organising impactful events, promoting fair practices, recognising excellence, and advocating for sustainable practices, MBAM has established itself as a leading authority in the construction industry. Moving forward, MBAM can continue to grow by embracing technology, expanding its international network, nurturing talent, and adapting to emerging trends. With a steadfast commitment to its members and the construction industry at large, MBAM is well positioned to continue to grow with the support of its members. 26 MASTER BUILDERS JOURNAL #128Hi my name is Selamat! Let’s work together in creating a safe working culture! Wear proper PPE! Safety helmet with chin strap SAFETY GOGGLES Safety shoes / boots SAFETY GLOVES SAFETY vest/ REFLECTOR APPLICATION FORM & ENQUIRIES For Application Form and Training Calendar please download from MBAM Official Website: www.mbam.org.my MASTER BUILDERS ASSOCIATION MALAYSIA (MBAM) No 2-1 ( 1st Floor ) , Jalan 2/109 E Desa Business Park 58100 Kuala Lumpur Tel : 03-7984 8636 Fax : 03-7982 9811 Email : mbam18@mbam.org.my MMCOA LIFTING SUPERVISOR TRAINING Claimable Under Scheme SBL CUSTOMIZED IN-HOUSE TRAINING DP TRAINING on MEWPNext >