MACHANG, The first phase of Sungai Bagan Industrialised Building System (IBS) Industrial Park, spanning over 80 hectares here, is expected to be fully completed by March next year. Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said currently, the mega project is nearly 50.5 per cent complete, including the provision of infrastructure. He said that the development of the first phase, which began on Aug 15, 2022, is being undertaken by the Kelantan State Economic Development Corporation, encompassing infrastructure for 47 industrial lots, 60 commercial lots and one IBS centre of excellence, with an allocation under the 12th Malaysia Plan worth RM90 million. "The current progress of this first phase has reached over 50 per cent, with all 47 industrial lots sold. We anticipate the completion of Malaysia's first IBS industrial park by March 4, 2025," he told reporters after visiting the Sungai Bagan IBS Industrial Park today. Ahmad said the project, located adjacent to the Central Spine Road, would boost the construction industry's economy, particularly in the East Coast region. Ahmad said it would also serve as a model to be adapted in six other regions, including the northern, southern, central zones, Sabah, and Sarawak. He added that the use of IBS technology was in line with the Ministry of Works' recommendation to reduce dependence on foreign workers from 37 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030. The Sungai Bagan Industrial Park is the result of collaboration between the Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board and the Kelantan government, sealed in October 2021 to provide a strategic IBS ecosystem, particularly in construction materials and skilled labour. Source: BERNAMA News Agency