From Terengganu to Penang: Cement and sand give builders a price nudge

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — Building costs rose in December 2025, driven by higher cement and sand prices, data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) showed.

The unit price index of cement increased by between 1.2 per cent and 3.2 per cent from the previous month, DoSM said in its Special Release for Building and Structural Works, December 2025.

Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the highest increase was recorded in Terengganu and Kelantan at 3.2 per cent, followed by Pulau Pinang, Kedah and Perlis at 1.8 per cent, and Pahang at 1.6 per cent.

Sand prices also edged higher in December, with month-on-month increases ranging from 0.1 per cent to 4.8 per cent across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, he said.

By contrast, the unit price index of steel slipped slightly, declining by between 0.1 per cent and 1.0 per cent on a monthly basis.

However, the price index of steel and metal sections posted modest gains of between 0.1 per cent and 1.1 per cent across all regions.

On a year-on-year basis, the unit price index of steel fell by between 3.2 per cent and 7.1 per cent in December 2025 compared with a year earlier, covering most areas nationwide. The steepest decline was recorded in Sibu at 7.1 per cent, followed by Pulau Pinang, Kedah and Perlis at 6.8 per cent, and Kota Kinabalu at 6.5 per cent.

Cement prices, however, rose on an annual basis, with the unit price index increasing by between 2.0 per cent and 6.1 per cent across all areas.

Mohd Uzir said the average price of steel, comprising mild steel round bars and Mycon 60 high tensile deformed bars, rose marginally by 0.1 per cent to RM3,512.10 per metric tonne in December, from RM3,509.60 per metric tonne in November.

The average price of Ordinary Portland cement increased by 0.8 per cent to RM24.55 per 50 kg bag, compared with RM24.35 previously.

Meanwhile, the Building Material Cost Index (BCI) with steel bars for all building categories in Peninsular Malaysia recorded month-on-month increases of between 0.1 per cent and 2.0 per cent in December. Sabah also saw gains of between 0.1 per cent and 0.9 per cent across all categories.

In Sarawak, the BCI with steel bars declined slightly by between 0.1 per cent and 0.2 per cent for several building categories in Sibu, while indices for all categories in Kuching and Miri rose by between 0.1 per cent and 0.5 per cent. — Bernama