KUCHING: Sarawak is not ready to fully take part in the Industrialised Building System (IBS) in which its projects are above RM50 million in value, said Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
The Local Government and Housing Minister stated that it is impossible for Sarawak due to its scattered geographical distance and this has been raised by the state government several years ago on its stand to not participate in the national policy.
Imagine setting up our IBS factories in the state with one in Kuching and another in Miri, the transportation costs to send IBS components to the construction site outside Kuching or rural areas will be expensive.
“Be it private or public, if your project is more than RM50 million, they want you to ensure 50 per cent of the construction are done in IBS and for Sarawak (to do that), it is impossible,” he said after officiating at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Sri Pertiwi Affordable Housing Scheme at Aurora Heights yesterday.
Dr Sim further stated the IBS cost in the state is not as competitive as in Malaya because the local community are working well and they have the volume to implement the construction works.
He added that if a certain national policy is suitable for Sarawak, it will definitely adopt it and if it is not, then the state will have to reject it as to protect the state’s interests.
He continued, “Yesterday in a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Kedah state wants out because the house buyers are complaining.
“After IBS, they cannot just renovate however they want because the steel is different from ours. When you knock that one, the whole structure will collapse on you whereas here in Sarawak, you can just ‘knock and knock’ (modify however you like).”
At present, there is only one IBS plant in the state located in Kuching.
Last year, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) targeted that 50 per cent of private construction worth above RM50 million will fully use the IBS system this year.
