SYNOPSIS

The construction industry continues to be a substantial driver of growth to Malaysia’s economy and this trend will continue and expand in the future. The industry’s economic contribution is about 4.5% of GDP, but interrelates to over 120 sub-industries and consumes about 15% of total manufacturing output; contributing a two-times multiplier effect for growth and sustainability. Almost 10% of Malaysia’s total workforce is employed here. As such, the importance of the construction industry cannot be overemphasised. Notwithstanding the various initiatives and programmes designed and implemented over the years, recurrent problems still persist to undermine the reputation of the industry. These include poor quality, frequent delays, cost overruns, low productivity and disproportionately high rate of workplace accidents. In this light, there is the need to be cognisant of the current challenges and the contributing factors. This webinar will discuss the critical issues involved and how we can ameliorate the overall performance and competitiveness.


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Ir. Dr Jeffrey Yap Boon Hui

Ir Dr Jeffrey Yap Boon Hui is an Associate Professor and Head of Programme for Master of Project Management at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). Academically, he holds a PhD in project management from International University of Malaya–Wales (IUMW) in which he was recognised as IUMW Valedictorian (Best Student Award). He also holds Master and Bachelor degrees in construction management and civil engineering respectively. Before joining academia in 2014, he held managerial positions with several reputable property development companies. Professionally, Jeffrey is a Professional Engineer (PEng) and Professional Technologist (PTech). He also holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, an international recognition of his project management knowledge and skills. Jeffrey is keenly interested in practical and transformational research that is of direct benefit to the construction industry. He also actively involved in international research collaborations, performing peer reviews and publishing in high-impact journals. His efforts and excellence have been acknowledged and awarded at various noble platforms. Among various recognitions and awards received are Emerald Literati Awards for Excellence and Best Paper Award at international conferences. To date, he has over 50 research papers to his credit, which have appeared in internationally recognised journals.