KUALA LUMPUR: The Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) has updated its Quality Assessment System in Construction (Qlassic) system.

“The updates include the addition of building categories, elements of works to be assessed and the number of samples needed to ensure more accurate scoring,” said CIDB chief executive Datuk Seri Judin Abdul Karim in his speech at the “Construction Quality Empowerment Seminar” seminar yesterday.

Judin added that with the new Qlassic guidelines, the board will work with various government agencies and developers to raise building standards.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib, who was at the seminar, said that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) plans to make Qlassic compulsory for all property developments in the city.

Meanwhile, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the first packages of the Pan-Borneo Highway in Sabah and Sarawak will be tendered out next May. This infrastructure project was announced during the tabling of Budget 2015 on Oct 10.

“The first package [for the highway project] is Kuching and Serian, which will be called for tender in May. That one is about RM18 million. The other one will be in Simpang Galau, Bintulu, that is over RM500 million. There will be three projects in Sabah and Sarawak each,” he said.

The “Construction Quality Empowerment Seminar” was organised to explain the new provisions of the CIDB (Amended) Act 2011.

Some key changes to the Act include doubling the maximum penalty for contractors who fail to register with the CIDB to RM100,000 and making contractors responsible for building safety even after the property is completed.

Other amendments include requiring all construction supervisors and skilled workers to be accredited by the CIDB with green cards and enabling the board to enforce a standard for building material quality as outlined in the fourth schedule of the Act.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on October 31, 2014.