The lack of suitable local materials such as earth, stone and sand is making it difficult for contractors to comply with the specifications of the Pan Borneo Highway project.

This will result in the extra cost of having to import suitable materials from far away or even outside Sabah.

Sabah Builders Association (SBA) conveyed this feedback from its members who are involved in the project to State Public Works Department (JKR) director Datuk Ir. Hj Amrullah and Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd CEO Ir. Shahelmey Bin Yahya during a courtesy call.

SBA president Ir. Lou Chi Nam said the association was grateful to JKR and Borneo Highway PDP who were very receptive in exploring suitable solutions to avoid delays to the project, and more critically to reduce the cost for the project and also help the contractors to cut losses on the unforeseen extra costs, making a win-win situation for all the parties, including recommending the present quarry operators who had been exporting these materials to cease exportation but to prioritise to supply local demand.

The other SBA committee members present were Deputy President Henry Tsen, Vice President Johnny Wong, Secretary (English) Ralph Chung, Head of General Affair Choo Wei Tak, Committee member Ir. Chaw Zie Der, Member Brian Lee.

The CIDB Act 520 requires all the technical personnel to be properly trained and accredited.

SBA in its effort to collaborate with the relevant authorities and institutions to train and improve the skill and knowledge of the sub-professional technical personnel, will jointly organize with the National Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) a Site Safety Supervisor seminar on April 9 to 19 at the SBA premises at Taman Suria, Jalan Penampang Lama.

Amrullah was very pleased with SBA's effort to work closely with JKR and Borneo Highway PDP on the training of technical personnel. He graciously expressed his support and would direct the contractors to send their site supervisors to attend the seminar.

Under the CIDB Act 520, all construction sites must have full time qualified site safety supervisors (SSS). CIDB has the authority to suspend the project or fine the contractor or both if the contractor fails to comply with CIDB Act 520.

In line with the Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP), he also advised SBA to work closely with the consultants and developers on the promotion of Industrialised Building System (IBS) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) which will help to rely less on the foreign workers, produce better quality finished products, more efficiency and less wastage of construction materials to ensure a more sustainable construction industry.