CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY PLAYERS APPEAL GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW INDUSTRY REGULATIONS

JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- The master builders associations of Johor, Melaka and Perak as well as Penang Master Builders and Building Materials Dealers Association have appealed to the government to review the regulations of the construction industry, which is currently facing various challenges including high costs, labour shortages and stringent regulations.

In a joint statement today, the associations said they hoped the government could recreate a healthy and sustainable environment and competition in the economic restructuring.

The statement said the construction industry is not only the country’s economic locomotive but also created high job opportunities and carried the mission of building a quality nation.

“We really hope that the government can allow private construction projects to enjoy the same variation of price treatment as government projects so that Malaysian builders can compete fairly in a healthy business environment and create sustainable development for the construction industry,” it said.

It said there is also a serious shortage of workers in the construction industry currently.

“It turns out that no local people are interested in the construction industry, therefore, we hope that the government can simplify and ease the foreign workers’ application process for the industry.

“We hope that the application and approval processes can be completed within two weeks with a clear, direct and simplified procedure so that builders can contribute to the country’s economic recovery,” it said.

It said since the post-pandemic era, the structure of the foreign labour market in Malaysia has undergone enormous changes even though the government has made every effort to facilitate in all aspects.

“There is still a shortage of 550,000 to 600,000 construction workers, resulting in delays in the delivery of government and private projects and causing builders to pay damages,” it added.

-- BERNAMA