CONSTRUCTION SECTOR POSTS 8.8 PCT REBOUND IN 2022

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- The 2022 overall construction sector posted an 8.8 per cent rebound after a two-year declining trend, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) said.

In a report today, chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said all sub-sectors picked up during the year with double-digit growth recorded in special trade activities (19.6 per cent); and non-residential buildings (18.7 per cent).

“The civil engineering and residential building sub-sectors turned around to positive growth of 2.7 per cent and 3.4 per cent, respectively,” he said.

The total value of work done in 2022’s construction amounted to RM121.9 billion, “lower than the pre-pandemic period” in 2019 which totalled RM146.4 billion, he said.

Mohd Uzir also said that the construction sector continued to perform favourably in 2022’s fourth quarter (4Q) with the value of work done up by 15.7 per cent to RM32.0 billion after expanding strongly by 23.2 per cent in the third quarter (3Q) of 2022.

Fourth quarter growth momentum was driven by double-digit growth in the civil engineering sub-sector (20.8 per cent); non-residential buildings (19.0 per cent); and special trade activities (12.7 per cent). 

The residential sub-sector rose 5.3 per cent compared to a year ago, the statement said.

DoSM said of total RM32.0 billion worth of work done, RM12.1 billion, or 37.9 per cent, comprised civil engineering, followed by non-residential buildings with a share of 30.1 per cent, or RM9.6 billion. The value of work done in residential buildings was RM7 billion (21.8 per cent) and special trade activities RM3.26 billion (10.2 per cent).

The private sector was the main impetus to the 4Q’s construction growth, the statement said.

On a state level basis, DoSM said more than 60 per cent of the value of the work done was concentrated in Selangor (RM7.7 billion: 24.2 per cent); Wilayah Persekutuan (RM4.7 billion: 14.7 per cent); Sarawak (RM3.7 billion: 11.7 per cent); and Johor (RM3.4 billion: 10.7 per cent).

-- BERNAMA