Uggah (second right) is seen with (from left) Mohd Merzan, BTS 2017 organising chairman Bong Joon Hin, Zulhemlee and PAM Sarawak Chapter chairman Mike Boon during the launch yesterday.
KUCHING: Innovation is key to meeting the current demand in the building and construction industry, says Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He also pointed out that the state government’s plan on modern urban development for Sarawak should provide industry professionals the chance to come up with innovative ideas to boost economy’.
“The people’s taste and desire for aesthetic and functional values in residential living and office environment have changed. With that comes new challenges as well as new opportunities to the professionals in the building industry.
“And that involves exploring new and more innovative designs to provide a balance between the aesthetic and functional, and also identifying new approaches to establish harmony with the immediate physical environment,” he remarked.
He said this in a text speech read by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture and Rural Economy Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas during the official launching of the biennial Building Trade Show (BTS) held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, yesterday.
He further highlighted that the building and construction industry would continue to function as an important engine of economic growth for the state and a major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP), even in times of economic
slowdown.
As such, he called for further collaboration and partnerships between the building and construction industry and the state government in order to boost the economy.
“Our communities will only sustain strong local economies if they can attract and accommodate the employers, high-skilled workers and consumers.
“To achieve this, building professionals must play their role meaningfully and collaborate with the state government on a long-term basis,” he added.
He also encouraged industry players to explore opportunities created by the government’s transformation programme, which spans over the next 15 years.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Institute of Architects’ (PAM) president Dr Zulhemlee An pointed out that there is still plenty of room for improvements in the industry despite the current economic downturn as the current environment could provide industry players an opportunity to re-evaluate their current practices.
“The current slowdown has presented us with the opportunity to re-evaluate our current practices in the construction industry, be it as manufacturers or suppliers of construction materials, contractors, professional consultants or even developers.
“There are still a lot of rooms for improvements in the construction industry,” he said.
He added poor quality of workmanship has been a specific big issue in the industry for many years and hence, he pointed out that industry players must learn how to improve the materials and techniques to overcome this problem.
“That is why we must come up with more efficient methods, meaning less labour intensive, and better quality building materials in construction to improve the quality,” Zulhemlee said.
The official opening of BTS 2017 was also witnessed by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Sarawak director Mohd Merzan Hasim.
BTS 2017 is a biennial event organised by the Sarawak Chapter of PAM and supported by CIDB. This year’s main sponsors include Weida Resources Sdn Bhd and DML Products (Borneo) Sdn Bhd.
Themed ‘Innovative, informative, and inspiring’, the event will be held from March 24 to 26 at BCCK.
Other highlights of this year’s event include BTS Gala Night which was held last night, the Sarawak Design Forum which will be held today, and the Kid’s Colouring Contests and Kid’s Cooking Competition which are expected to be held tomorrow (March 26) morning.
Earlier during the month, PAMSC also held an Architects Run for Charity (ARC) 2017 in conjunction with the BTS 2017. The proceeds of the run was donated to Barefoot Mercy, Hope and SKUP.
In addition to providing opportunity for networking among professionals in the construction industry, BTS has contributed to forging greater awareness and understanding of building products and services that are available in the market.