MBAM hosts 52nd Asean Constructors Federation Council Meeting, conference

• "One particular strategy that has been fundamental in the transformation process is the integration of all construction processes using multiple technology solutions — more commonly known as the Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD)."

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 17):  The Asean Constructors Federation (ACF) conference 2022 was held on Monday (Oct 17) to bring together ACF members' expertise, vision, knowledge, and experience in the adoption and implementation of new technologies which would help us pave the way into the future of digitalisation.

Hosted by Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM), the 52nd ACF Council Meeting and conference were held at Sunway Resort Hotel.

According to a press statement, the ACF conference was launched by Construction Industry Development Board chief executive Datuk Ahmad 'Asri Abdul Hamid and was attended by 150 participants from eight Asean countries. The theme of the conference was "Together Shaping the Future of Construction in Asean".

In his speech, MBAM president Oliver Wee shared that the conference was very timely as it upheld the principles of open regionalism, as well as ensuring Asean centrality and unity in the evolving regional and global stages.

He also emphasised how ACF can play a driving role in bringing together all ACF members to have a breakthrough in the mindset where technology adoption is concerned. He further added that the construction industry is ripe for disruption in these times, in part due to how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the way operations are carried out.

"One of the biggest contributors to this sluggishness was that industry practitioners were reluctant to take the first step to adopt technologies. Digital technologies hold untapped promise to address this challenge, especially the use of the Internet of Things to enhance connectivity. One particular strategy that has been fundamental in the transformation process is the integration of all construction processes using multiple technology solutions — more commonly known as the Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD).

"IDD typically promotes the use of smart solutions, advanced information communication systems, and Building Information Modelling — a three-dimensional technology. Eventually, digital construction will transform the construction industry, and it is imperative that the ACF members collaborate with their respective public sectors to drive growth as a whole," he said.

The statement added that MBAM currently holds two key positions in ACF: MBAM past president Foo Chek Lee is ACF's current president while MBAM vice president Eric Yong is ACF's secretary general.

After the ACF conference, the 52nd ACF Council Meeting was held, which saw member countries' representatives present the current situations of their respective construction economies.

The statement also said the meeting was significant because one of the objectives of the ACF is to unify the efforts of the construction contractors in the Asean region in promoting the export of construction services to countries outside the Asean region and to pool resources if necessary.