KUALA LUMPUR: The Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) thanked the government in announcing construction projects in the 2022 Budget but in reality it was disappointed as what was announced was insufficient for the industry at large.
MBAM secretary-general Datuk Seri Eric Kuan Khian Leng said most of the projects announced were small scale projects to enhance the infrastructure for public use.
"These small projects would benefit part of the industry players mainly in the G1 to G4 categories of contractors," he said in a statement this evening.
Kuan said some of the new projects are:
- Building of eight new blocks for special education, among them at SMK Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen in Perlis and SMK Agama Alor Gajah in Melaka;
- RM 1.5 billion to continue housing projects for the low-income group;
- RM1.5 billion to build a 519km rural road that will directly benefit more than 130,000 residents; and
- RM 107 million to install 7,000 units of street lights in villages, maintenance of more than 500,000 units of village street lights and upgrading of 20 dilapidated bridges as well as preliminary works for 30 new bridges.
Kuan said in addition there was also some continuation of some existing projects as follows:
- Continuation of implementation of national infrastructure development projects worth RM 3.5 billion, including the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway and Central Spine Road; and
- RM 2.9 billion for continuation of small and medium sized projects for G1 to G4 contractors nationwide for road maintenance projects, repair of obsolete infrastructure and equipment of public universities, polytechnics and community colleges as well as other projects involving social amenities in rural areas.
He said MBAM was nevertheless supportive of the announcement in upskilling local talents through the continuation of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme.
"As the Malaysian construction industry is still over-dependent on unskilled foreign labour, we really hope that this initiative will prepare the industry with more local talent to overcome the shortage of foreign workers issue.
"This however will take a long time into the far future.
"The industry is in need of new foreign workers now to help with the recovery and hope that the process to bring them in will be much faster," he said.
Generally, Kuan said MBAM was expecting a more uplifting 2022 Budget announcement for the construction industry.
"Disappointingly, there were no announcements of new mega infrastructure projects to pump prime the revival of the Malaysian construction industry.
"MBAM appeals to the Government to provide more assistance for the construction industry to revive and sustain the construction sector," he appealed.