By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Nov 24: The establishment of the Sarawak Building Board is not red tape but a vital assertion of Sarawak’s sovereign responsibility to ensure that anyone who touches Sarawakian soil is accountable to Sarawakian laws and subject to immediate local disciplinary action.
Tanjong Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang Leong Ming stressed this when debating the Building (Amendment) Bill, 2025 at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) Sitting today.
Addressing concerns that the new Sarawak Building Board could burden professionals already registered at the federal level, Pang defended the move as essential for safety and autonomy.
“We cannot outsource the safety of Sarawakians to Kuala Lumpur. If a slope fails in Kapit or a building cracks in Bintulu, can we wait for a disciplinary board in KL to schedule a hearing? No,” he asserted.
Pang said the amendments were necessary to replace outdated provisions and equip Sarawak with a modern, safety-driven building regulatory framework aligned with the state’s Post-Covid Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and its ambitions in renewable energy, hydrogen and carbon capture.
“The last time this Ordinance was touched, it was 1994. Sarawak was different, Bintulu was different, Samalaju was just a vision. Today, we are building a First World State, and you cannot build a First World State with Third World laws,” he said.
Pang said his strongest support for the Bill stemmed from safety as for too long, illegal modifications and dangerous earthworks had been treated as a “cost of doing business”, with fines such as RM1,000 amounting to “loose change” for multi-million-ringgit projects.
“This bill changes the game. Raising the penalty for building failures to RM1 million and including provisions for imprisonment, it is a deterrent. It sends a message to every developer and consultant: do not gamble with the lives of Sarawakians,” he stressed, referencing landslide threats in his constituency, including incidents at Taman Belle Hill in Bintulu.
He welcomed the new definition of “Slope” and tougher enforcement powers on earthworks, noting that local authorities finally have the “teeth” to stop dangerous hill-cutting before tragedy strikes.
He urged the Ministry to ensure a seamless transition so that engineers, architects and professionals across Sarawak are not bogged down by administrative delays.
“Let us regulate them for safety, not burden them with bureaucracy,” he said.
Pang also voiced strong support for the new Part IVA on Green Buildings, pushing back against claims that green standards would inflate housing prices, especially affecting B40 and M40 groups.
“This Bill protects the B40,” he said, explaining that poorly ventilated homes and high utility bills disproportionately hurt low-income families.
By mandating energy efficiency under Section 24A, he said, the State ensures that low-cost houses do not become “high-cost traps”.
Still, he acknowledged that upfront costs for developers will rise due to green materials, accredited checkers and stricter earthworks regulation.
Speaking on behalf of first-time homebuyers in Jepak, Kidurong, Tupong and across the State, Pang cautioned that rising compliance costs should not be passed fully to consumers.
“If this Bill causes construction costs to spike by 20 or 30 per cent, we risk pricing our own people out of the market,” he warned.
He proposed incentives for developers who meet green and safety standards in affordable housing, including premium rebates or fast-track approvals.
“We must balance sustainability with affordability. We want our people to live in safe, green homes but they must be able to afford the key,” he urged.
Pang concluded by describing the Bill as an essential step toward a safer, greener, future-ready Sarawak.
He reaffirmed that the legislation aligns Sarawak’s laws with its 2030 development ambitions, while putting the safety of the rakyat above developer profits. — DayakDaily
