CIDB launches National Building Information Modelling e-Submission Initiative

• 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 CIDB chief executive Datuk Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid in a press statement.

KUALA LUMPUR (July 13): The Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) has launched the National BIM e-Submission Initiative (NBES) to accelerate the Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology adoption in Malaysia, and improve the review and approval process of building plans by local authorities.

“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 CIDB chief executive Datuk Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid in a press statement.

Through the NBES system, building plans can be reviewed digitally by BIM technology, in compliance with the Uniform Building By-laws (UBBL) and the Malaysian Standard (MS 1184). The NBES system will reduce the reviewing process from 21 days, to 24- or 48 hours, depending on the complexity of the BIM model, according to the statement.

The NBES initiative was officially launched by the Ministry of Works deputy minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Haji Mohamad during the opening ceremony of KL BIM Day 2023 held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (July 13). KL BIM Day is a two-day event to raise awareness of the BIM usage in the construction industry.

The initiative has been conducted as a pilot project involving five local authorities, namely Perbadanan Putrajaya, Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya, Majlis Perbandaran Kangar, Majlis Bandaraya Melaka Bersejarah and Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara.

The statement added that CIDB is currently collaborating with local councils to provide training and consultation for the NBES implementation and that the system will attract more investments and projects.

“While the local councils may have to make some investments to offer NBES services, we envisioned that the investment return can be realised 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 Ahmad Asri.