April 2023 President’s Message
53RD ASEAN CONSTRUCTORS’ FEDERATION (ACF) COUNCIL MEETING AND ACF CONFERENCE 2023
MBAM recently attended the 53rd ASEAN Constructors’ Federation (ACF) Council Meeting and ACF Conference 2023 with the theme ASEAN: Resilient Growth on 31 March 2023 in Clark, Philippines. The event was hosted by Philippines Constructors’ Association Inc. (PCA) in conjunction with one of their Philconstruct Luzon commencing from 30 March to 1 April 2023 in SMX Convention Centre in which the ACF delegates were also invited to join the Opening Ceremony and touring of the said exhibition.
PCA had also extended an invitation for me to speak at their CEO Forum on 30 March 2023 entitled “CIDB Introduction and its Best Practices and Construction. I had the honour of presenting on the overview of the Malaysian construction industry while also sharing the role and responsibilities of the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) as the custodian of the Malaysian construction industry. MBAM is a strategic partner of CIDB Malaysia in various matters such as advisory, training, industry standards, industry guidelines, accreditation to name a few with an aim to further improve and upgrade the construction industry.
The forum was then followed by a panel discussion moderated by Atty. Jean De Castro which featured CIAP Alternate Chairman Ireneo Vizmonte, Department of Transportation Undersecretary Timothy Batan, Philippine Constructors Association President Ronaldo Elepaño, Construction Manpower Development Foundation Board Member Morris Agoncillo, and Procore Vice President of Asia Bruce Wells. Overall, it was a fruitful session as panellists were able to share and exchange of ideas between two countries’ mandated institution to develop and regulate their construction industry.
Parallel to the ACF Conference’s theme “ASEAN: Resilient Growth”, it can be observed that most ASEAN economies are working on accelerating public infrastructure projects to get their economies back on recovery. The construction industry plays a vital role in the development of the ASEAN region, and we must ensure its continued growth and resilience in the face of various challenges.
The past few years have seen significant changes and challenges in the construction industry in the ASEAN region. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted supply chains, halted projects, and caused financial difficulties for many construction firms. Climate change has also had an impact on the industry, with rising sea levels and extreme weather events leading to infrastructure damage and project delays.
However, despite these challenges, there is still much potential for growth in the construction industry in ASEAN. The region’s rapidly growing population and urbanisation, coupled with infrastructure needs, provide significant opportunities for construction firms to expand and innovate.
The conference was then followed by the 53rd ACF Council Meeting consisting of members such as 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) and Thai Contractors Association (TCA).
During the council meeting, it was highlighted that the members were still faced with a challenging year due to the increasing cost of building materials and labour being a constant problem. As uncertainties in the current market linger, companies experience materials shortages and rising prices due to supply chain failure. However, these companies are working on their road to recovery through the acceleration of public infrastructure projects.
MBAM also participated in the handover of ACF Chairmanship to Philippine Constructors Association, Incs. (PCA) under the leadership of Mr Augusto Manalo alongside Mr Gerardo Pancho as the newly appointed ACF Secretary-General. We would like to once again extend our appreciation to PCA President Mr Ronaldo Elepano for their kind hospitality and hosting of various programmes during our stay in Clark. Also, a big thank you to all ACF Council members for their kind support and cooperation rendered to MBAM for the past two years.
Oliver HC Wee
MBAM President