Kuala lumpur: The Building Cost Index (BCI) with steel bars experienced a decline of between 0.1 percent and 1.1 percent in various building categories and regions within Peninsular Malaysia in August 2026 compared to the previous month, as reported by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the BCI with steel bars in Sabah increased by between 0.1 percent and 3.4 percent across all building categories, while Sarawak recorded increases ranging from 0.1 percent to 0.4 percent. The unit price index for sand showed a month-on-month rise of between 0.3 percent and 7.7 percent, with Kota Kinabalu experiencing the highest increase at 7.7 percent. This was followed by Perak at 2.4 percent, while regions such as Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, and Sibu saw increases of 0.3 percent each.

The unit price index for steel saw a decrease of between 0.3 percent and 2.4 percent month-on-month in selected areas. The largest decline was noted in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan at 2.4 percent, followed by Perak at 1.3 percent and Pahang at 0.7 percent.

On a year-on-year basis, the unit price index for cement increased by between 0.6 percent and 6.7 percent across Malaysia, with Kuching recording the highest increase at 6.7 percent, followed by Miri at 6.6 percent, and Kelantan and Terengganu at 5.9 percent.