Government officials and senior construction industry figures from Malaysia have signed an agreement with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to help raise standards, increase innovation and technology use, and improve sustainability within the sector.
Signatories included the chairman of Malaysia’s Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Ir. Yusuf Abdul Wahab, its chief executive, Datuk Ir. Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid, the country’s deputy minister of works, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, and incoming CIOB President, Datuk Seri Dr Michael Yam.
Meeting yesterday in London, it was the first delegation from abroad to be hosted by the CIOB since the pandemic stopped international travel in 2020.
“This agreement further strengthens CIOB’s support for the international community of construction professionals and establishes our relationship with CIDB Malaysia, with whom we share a mission to secure a better future for our industry,” said CIOB chief executive Caroline Gumble.
“We look forward to sharing best practice from our respective cultures to promote excellence and professionalism in the built environments in Malaysia, in the UK and globally.”
CIOB has more than 450 members in Malaysia, where it has had a presence in the country since 1980. It also works with seven Malaysian universities to develop and accredit courses in construction management and quantity surveying.
Mike Foy OBE, CIOB President, said: “As the world’s largest professional body for construction, with 47,000 members operating in 100 countries, the CIOB is well positioned to bring about positive change to many agendas. When we partner with an organisation, like CIDB it is because we believe we share the same values and that by working together we can make a difference, and I look forward to seeing this collaboration between our two prestigious organisations grow.”
Malaysia’s CIDB was established in 1994 to regulate and develop Malaysia’s construction industry. It advises government and other stakeholders on construction issues.
Its chairman Ir. Yusuf Abdul Wahab said: “The MoU signing today, which serves as a platform for collaboration through information and knowledge exchange, is very much in line with CIDB’s role in developing the Malaysian construction industry. These human capital development efforts are not only important in Malaysia and the UK, but also for all construction professionals around the world in order to remain competitive in a challenging environment.”
