Paving the way for structural timber in Malaysia

The Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) has formed a task force to review our Uniform Building By-laws (UBBL) as part of efforts to enable timber to be recognised and used as a structural material in this country.

At present, the statutory bodies, including Bomba, classify timber as a combustible material. As UBBL precludes the use of combustible materials for structural (load-bearing) purposes, the use of structural timber has not been accepted in this country. As a result, Malaysia has been missing out on the global advancement of timber structures despite being a major international timber producer. Even neighbouring Singapore and the Philippines have taken to this advancement and recently completed landmark buildings in timber.

When sustainably sourced, timber has many advantages over steel and concrete. Amongst others, it is lighter, quicker to build, renewable, has a lesser carbon footprint and enhances well being; hence the fast-growing global uptake.

We as a nation need to reframe our perception of timber. Instead of viewing it as an artisan material it historically was, it needs to be seen as an engineering material that can be designed and specified to codes of practice just like reinforced concrete and steel; including designing and specifying it for fire.

The task force seeks to address this by proposing to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) the amendments necessary to the UBBL. This task force is represented by academia and various industry bodies including the Construction Industry Development Board and Public Works Department. Our director, Yasotha, has been invited to be part of this task force because of her experience and knowledge of structural timber from her time in the United Kingdom.

The task force met this week for the third time and concluded its proposal. This will now be forwarded to KPKT for it to be tabled to the stakeholders including Bomba. If this proposal is taken on board, it will mark a new era for the construction industry in this country.