KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 – The Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) has unveiled the National BIM e-Submission Initiative, a groundbreaking project aimed at enhancing the adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology in Malaysia’s construction industry. The National BIM e-Submission (NBES) system represents a significant advancement in the review and approval of Building Plans by local authorities. It is one of the world’s first Auto Checker systems of its kind, allowing for digital submission and review of Building Plans through BIM.
“We believe that NBES is a very impactful project which will contribute significantly towards expediting BIM adoption and enhance the ease of doing business in construction,” said Datuk Ir. Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid, CIDB Malaysia Chief Executive. The NBES system has been designed to automatically check building plan compliance with the Uniform Building By-Laws (UBBL) and the Malaysian Standard (MS 1184). This feature has significantly reduced the time needed to review building plans, reducing the process from 21 days to either 24 or 48 hours, depending on the complexity of the submitted BIM model.
CIDB has successfully conducted a proof-of-concept pilot project involving five local authorities: Perbadanan Putrajaya, Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya, Majlis Perbandaran Kangar, Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah, and Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara. Majlis Perbandaran Kulim Kedah has also expressed interest in implementing NBES to enhance and streamline its building approval process. CIDB expects more local authorities to adopt NBES in the near future.
CIDB is actively collaborating with the local councils to provide training and consultation on implementing the NBES system, aiming to increase the efficiency of the building plan approval process. The reduced processing time will greatly improve the overall efficiency and productivity of the local councils, while also attracting more investments due to the ease, speed, and transparency of the approval process.
“While the local councils may have to make some investments to offer NBES services, we envision that the investment return can be realized in a few short years as the system will attract more and more projects. By cutting down on approval processes, the local councils can attract more projects and foreign direct investments (FDI) into their district,” said Datuk Ir. Ahmad ‘Asri Abdul Hamid.
The NBES Initiative was officially launched by the Deputy Minister of Works, Dato’ Sri Abdul Rahman Bin Haji Mohamad, at the World Trade Centre in conjunction with the KL BIM Day 2023 Opening Ceremony. The event aims to create awareness of BIM usage in construction and features a two-day conference with renowned speakers sharing their expertise in specific BIM topics. A three-day BIM exhibition is also held, showcasing the latest technology in BIM and other emerging technologies.
The NBES system is expected to revolutionize the construction industry in Malaysia by expediting processes, enhancing efficiency, and promoting the adoption of BIM technology. With the implementation of NBES, Malaysia is poised to become a leader in digital construction processes, driving the industry forward and attracting further investments in the future.
