Chief statistician Malaysia Uzir Mahidin said almost all building materials, such as cement, steel, sand, bricks, roofing and ceiling materials, increased in March 2022.

“The hike in steel price, for instance, was attributed to the cost of raw materials from steel producer countries.

“The steel prices also went up due to the Russia-Ukraine war as these two countries are among the largest steel producers in the world.

“This has caused a global supply chain disruption,” the department said in its Index For Building And Structural Works, March 2022 report, today.

“The BCI increased for all building categories between 0.1% and 1.6% in Peninsular Malaysia, between 0.1% and 0.9% in Sabah and between 0.1% and 2.6% in Sarawak.

“The BCI, without steel bars, for all regions in Peninsular Malaysia increased 0.1-1.0% for almost all building categories,” Uzir said.

Building categories that recorded the highest increase were five-storey and above reinforced concrete (RC) buildings (for office); single-storey RC buildings; two to four-storey RC buildings (flat roof); and two to four-storey RC buildings (pitched roof) in Terengganu, Kelantan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan.

The BCI with steel bars for all regions in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak increased 0.1-1.9% for almost all building categories, the department said.

“The highest increase in steel was recorded in Sarawak (1.9%) and followed by Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Johor with 1.7%,” DOSM said.