KUALA LUMPUR: Contractors who secure government projects are urged to treat each project as an opportunity to demonstrate their best performance in terms of quality, productivity and professionalism in addition to completing the project within the stipulated time frame.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said contractors who have been awarded projects must consider them as a trust and a responsibility, as it involves the rights of others.
"In addition to trustworthiness, if Bumiputera contractors continue to strive and emphasise creativity and competitiveness, they will be able to take advantage of all opportunities and always be ready to adapt to new norms," he said.
Ahmad Zahid said this in his speech text read by his political secretary Datuk Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii at the dinner and inauguration of the 44th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Malay Contractors Association (PKMM) and the launch of PKMM's New Generation Contractors Council (MKGB), tonight.
Aware of the difficulties faced by the construction sector following the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the country a few years ago, Ahmad Zahid said the initiative under the MADANI Economy had the potential to drive positive change for the country by adopting a strategic and value-based approach, especially in a period of economic uncertainty in both the local and global level.
"The government realises that in such a challenging economic environment, not many contractors are willing to get involved in low-cost housing projects that provide lesser returns, especially in a situation where the prices of building materials are still not stable.
"I believe that the allocation through Budget 2024 at the Federal and state government levels will not only be a long-term investment to revive physical and economic development but will also reinvigorate the implementation of projects, especially for small and medium-sized contractors," he said.
Statistics from the Works Ministry show that the construction industry is estimated to have suffered losses of over RM42 billion to date since the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in the country on March 18, 2020. -- Bernama