KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — The price index per unit of steel decreased between 0.6 per cent and 2.3 per cent month-on-month in June 2023 for almost all areas of Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, said the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
In a statement, it said the price index per unit of steel remained unchanged for several areas, such as in Johor, Terengganu, Kelantan and all areas in Sarawak (Kuching, Sibu and Miri), as compared to May 2023.
Apart from steel, the price index per unit of steel and metal sections also recorded a decrease between 0.3 per cent and 2.1 per cent for all areas in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.
“The decrease in the price index of steel and steel and metal sections were in line with the scenario of decreases in the prices of steel and iron ore at the global level,” DOSM said.
Meanwhile, the month-on-month comparisons according to construction materials and selected areas also showed that cement continued to record price increases.
Nevertheless, the price index per unit of cement increased slower in June 2023, which was between 0.1 per cent and 0.9 per cent as compared to May 2023 (1.8 per cent to 4.0 per cent).
“Apart from cement, the price index for a unit of timber has also increased between 2.3 per cent and 4.0 per cent in all areas of Peninsular Malaysia except in Johor and Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan.
“The price index per unit of timber for all areas of Sabah and Sarawak remained unchanged as compared to May 2023,” it said.
On an annual comparison, the unit price index of cement for the period of June 2022 and June 2023 had recorded an increase between 2.4 per cent and 17.5 per cent for all areas in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.
DOSM added in terms of items and areas, the unit price index of building materials in Peninsular Malaysia increased between 0.2 per cent and 17.5 per cent for June 2023 compared to the same month last year.
“The highest increase for areas in Peninsular Malaysia was cement in Kelantan and Terengganu (17.5 per cent), followed by bricks and walls in Johor (17.4 per cent), and cement in Pulau Pinang, Kedah, and Perlis (17.1 per cent).
“The price index for a unit of construction materials that recorded the highest increase in Sabah was plumbing materials in Kota Kinabalu (17.6 per cent), while in Sarawak, it was timber in Sibu (31.7 per cent) as well as bricks and wall materials in Miri (23.3 per cent),” it said
The Building Cost Material Index (BCI), without steel bars and with steel bars, for all building categories in Peninsular Malaysia in June 2023 increased between 0.1 per cent and 4.1 per cent as compared to the previous month.
“The highest increase was recorded for Timber Piling in Perak, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu.
“The BCI (with steel bars) for Sabah recorded a slower increase for almost all construction categories in Kota Kinabalu between 0.1 and 2.0 per cent in June 2023 as compared to the previous month,” it said.
— Bernama
