Use of Industrialised Building System in Sabah still low
DESPITE being in the industry for almost 50 years in Malaysia, the adoption of Industrialised Building System (IBS) in the construction sector is still low in Sabah.
However, the pioneer of IBS in Sabah, KTI Property had already started using the system over two decades ago at its housing project in Kudat, Taman Orkid.
At that time, the company was using IBS technology from Australia.
Over the years, the percentage of IBS materials in its projects increased up to 77 percent, and was recently awarded the Special Mention Award for IBS category during the prestigious Malaysian Construction Industry Excellent Award (MCIEA) in Kuala Lumpur for its Taman La Gloxinia in Kinarut, Papar.
In an exclusive interview with The Borneo Post, KTI Property project manager Wilson Loke said IBS is a pre-fabricated, or off-site construction.
Basically, it works like assembling a Lego structure.
The individual parts are manufactured in a factory according to the required sizes and specifications, then transferred to the project site for installation.
“For over 20 years we have been using steel moulds, and for the past five years we also use precast panels, which is the current system promoted by CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia) and JKR (Public Works Department).
“In Sabah, we are the first company to manufacture precast panel and to use it for our own projects.
“We are not commercializing it yet because we are using it for our own models. We are the supplier for our own projects, which are developed by our own company because the construction works are also done by us.
“Our current project, Puncak Gloxinia in Kinarut, also uses IBS. This project is the first 1Malaysia Civil Servant Housing (PPA1M) in Sabah, developed by our subsidiary company Landmark Property Sdn Bhd and it also implements the tremor-resistant technology.
“It was planned way ahead before the recent earthquake which occurred in Ranau,” he said.
According to Wilson, the company had invested around RM15 million of IBS plant next to the project.
“Utilising IBS elements not only benefit us by cutting down on labour costs by more than 50 per cent, it also cuts down our costs by up to 30 per cent.
“When we first started the new technology with our own plant, we had six months as learning curve. We studied the hardship to ensure our workers were skilled enough to do it.
“But still, we were ahead of schedule by at least nine months. This is something that we are looking forward. Investing in the plant was worth it,” he said.
As a pioneer in IBS, KTI Property is currently working with Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM), a training institution under CIDB, to train local Sabahans to cast and install it.
With its 10-acre IBS plant in Kinarut, Wilson said it would be a perfect place for training.
“ABM has the IBS module, but it does not have trainers. We went past that stage, and we are willing to share the knowledge with AMB,” he added.
KTI Property is a privately owned Sabahan based company, with specialist operations in property development, construction and project management.
Since 1984, KTI Property’s humble beginnings from a small sized company, has then expanded and has since transformed into a dynamic group of companies.
For the past three decades, KTI Property has undertaken a number of government projects including in Peninsular Malaysia, which involved design, build, finance and upon satisfactory completion, handed over to the respective government bodies with a total value of RM320 million.
Likewise, KTI Property has also completed numerous private projects amounting to approximately RM724 million.
From 1993 to 2005, among the completed government projects by KTI Property are the police quarters at Taman Nelly, Ranau Mosque, police headquarters and staff quarters in Sandakan, prison staff quarters in Tawau, police headquarters and staff quarters in Kudat, police headquarters and staff quarters in Penang, Kepayan prison staff quarters, polytechnic campus, prison complex in Kluang Johor and IPPD and staff quarters AT Kuala Pilah in Negeri Sembilan.
On private projects, KTI Propery has completed Taman Bestari Luyang, Taman Casa Fabulosa Penampang, Taman Bunga Matahari Sandakan, Taman Orkid Kudat, Taman Kepayan, Taman Lavender, Taman Kota, Kota Plaza Keningan, Taman Wawasan Beaufort and La Gloxinia Garden from 1994 to 2014.
Its current project Puncak Gloxinia, consists of 1,296 units of condominium. By using IBS, it managed to lower the market price by up to 30 percent for each unit.
Every purchaser will get to enjoy the luxury of condominium-living with full facilities and amenities provided at an affordable price.
Wilson said Puncak Gloxinia would be KTI Property’s contribution towards realising the government’s wish for every government servant to own their very own home, especially affordable houses for the lower to middle income group of this sector.
Not stopping there, two upcoming projects for KTI Property are in Tuaran and Lintas.
The government MyHome Scheme in Tuaran, proposed by KTI Property, is different from those in the existing market and considered to be the first in Sabah, as KTI Property will be building double storey terrace houses with a gross built up area of approximately 1,000 sq.ft. for each unit.
In Lintas, the next project for this company is The Logg, an iconic mixed development that blends a middle upscale lifestyle neighbourhood mall, residential, hotel and offices that connect to the Luyang community by providing a greater residential variety and density.