KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 -- The Works Ministry hopes that the construction industry will continue to receive attention in Budget 2021 and be the core of the government’s efforts to restore the country’s economy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said major construction projects such as the Mass Rapid Transit Line 3 (MRT3), East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), High-Speed Rail (HSR) and Pan Borneo as well as several highway projects should run smoothly and serve as a catalyst for the growth of the construction industry.

He also hoped that Budget 2021 would give attention to certain high-priority projects, such as the remaining packages for the Central Spine Road (CSR) and Jalan Kota Bharu-Kuala Krai projects that have not yet been approved, namely the route between Kuala Krai to Gua Musang as well as alignment connecting Bentong to Karak.

In East Malaysia, among the high priority projects is the five-kilometre 'missing link' route connecting Kuala Baram in Miri to the border of Brunei Darussalam at the Sungai Tujuh Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ), he said in a statement today.

Fadillah said the ministry had also applied for at least 20 new projects nationwide, including projects to construct new roads and upgrade existing roads.

He also hoped that significant allocation would be made available for small projects, such as for the maintenance of roads, slopes, buildings and government quarters, as part of the 2021 economic stimulus package.

Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (middle)

In addition, he said allocation should also be channelled to the Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to support its efforts to increase the use of technology in the construction industry such as robotics, automation and virtual reality.

“The ministry also hopes to further enhance the use of the Industrialised Building System (IBS), Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Pre-Approved Plans (PAP) in the implementation of government and private projects to fulfil the aspirations outlined in the Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP) 2016-2020 and the National Construction Policy (NCP) 2030, which will be launched soon,” he said.

-- BERNAMA