KUCHING: A total of RM6.6 billion have been allocated towards providing quality infrastructures for the citizens under the Fourth Thrust of the 2018 Budget, Driving Inclusive Development.
Minister of Works, Dato’ Sri Fadillah Yusof revealed that the allocation was aimed to develop infrastructures such as roads in rural areas and communication, to implement people-centric projects as well as for the Pan Borneo Highway.
“I am proud to say that we are on par with the developed countries. For example, we are using the Highway Information Modelling (HIM) in implementing the 2,239- kilometre Pan Borneo Highway which aims to increase connectivity in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said while delivering a keynote speech titled “Outlook of Malaysia Road Infrastructure” during the International Energy Week (IEW) 2018 conference at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here yesterday.
Fadillah disclosed that HIM, a combination of Geospatial Information System (GIS) and Building Information Modelling (BIM), was designed to minimise and reduce errors during construction to ensure the optimisation of resources.
“Furthermore, mega infrastructure projects throughout Malaysia under the 11th Malaysia Plan are largely responsible for the 8.3 per cent growth in the construction industry in 2017,” he said, adding that these projects include the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL), Mass Rapid Transit project (MRT) and Pan Borneo Highway. In the effort to make the mega infrastructure projects successful, Fadillah noted that the construction industry was growing rapidly and plays a vital role in the economic growth of the country.
“However, it can also generate implications to the environment if it is not regulated properly. “Under the Construction Industry Transformatio n Programme (CITP), the ministry and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) have developed initiatives such as BIM, which will help manage the life cycle of roads and construction projects, reduce the generation of on-site waste, develop competencies through the Centre of Excellence (CoE) and develop Malaysian Standards for Construction Specification that includes green technologies requirements.
“To further the agenda of sustainable practices, I would like to encourage industry players to conduct proper planning and to reduce the impact of energy consumption by the construction industry in line with sustainable development practices.
“These holistic initiatives will forge a continuous way forward for the construction industry which I fervently believe will yield global social wellness for humanity,” said the Minister of Works.
