Standard measurements to provide equal competition amongst contractors — CIDB

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) expects the newly-introduced Malaysian Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement to provide equal competition among construction contractors.

Senior general manager Sariah Abdul Karib said the new method would provide a ‘level playing field’ for industry players as it provided a standard work description and common understanding on the work to be done.

“It will prevent ambiquities and discrepancies, reduce disputes and place clarity on items used for construction,” she told Bernama in an interview.

Sariah said the measurement method was premised on the UK’s ‘Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement 3 Structure and Format’, but tailored to adopt local practices.

The standard method is targeted to deliver cost-effective civil engineering projects through adoption of best practices in the preparation of the bill of quantities (BQ); thus enhancing consistency and competitiveness of civil engineering work pricing.

Sariah said the method was introduced to replace the Malaysian Standard Method of Measurement for Civil Engineering Works, introduced in 2003, but received cool acceptance from the industry.

As a result, she said, the industry players continued to look at alternative measurement standards, which included the UK’s second and third editions.

She said the new measurement method covered a wider scope involving a more comprehensive list of civil engineering work items and in line with initiatives to make the document relevant.

The comprehensive document was developed from inputs gathered at a series of extensive workshops, she added.

Meanwhile, CIDB chief coordinator Mohd Nawi Dul said the standard  measurement implementation would give local industry players an advantage in facing the construction industry’s liberalisation in 2015.

“When the liberalisation happens in 2015, the industry will be opened to other players in the Asean region, and to maintain our competitiveness, we need to use the new measurement method from now.

“It will be an advantage as we are more familiar while the foreign players will need time to familiarise with it,” he said.

He said the higher standard would also enhance professionalism and improve management cost, enabling local companies to offer better services at a more competitive price to face competition from regional companies.

Nawi said the new measurement standard would create an environment for industry players to adopt best practices as the new measurement method was developed almost on par to the world standard.

“We are creating an environment where there will not be many disputes, thus reducing conflicts and misunderstanding, enabling a project to be managed much better,” Nawi added.

Moving forward, Sariah said the CIDB would be establishing a national call centre for construction projects using the new measurement method for its database.

She said the board would also be initiating a standard measurement method for mechanical and electrical engineering to further strengthen the industries.

She said there was no standard method of measurement in the mechanical and electrical engineering currently, rendering the two industries vulnerable to disputes and conflicts.

“The effort will be initiated next year and hopefully we can complete it in two years,” she added. — Bernama