Kuala Lumpur:The Building Cost Index (BCI) with steel bars saw a decrease ranging from negative 0.1 percent to negative 3.8 percent across various building categories and regions in Peninsular Malaysia for October 2026, as reported by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the BCI with steel bars in Sabah showed a slight increase between 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent across all building categories in Sandakan, while Kota Kinabalu's rates remained unchanged compared to the previous month. In Sarawak, the BCI with steel bars experienced a minor decline between negative 0.1 percent and negative 0.4 percent for all building categories in Sibu, whereas Kuching and Miri registered a slight increase between 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent.
The unit price index for sand rose by 0.3 percent to 1.8 percent month-on-month across selected areas, with Sandakan experiencing the highest increase at 1.8 percent, followed by Kuching at 0.8 percent and Johor at 0.5 percent. The price index for cement also recorded a slight increase in October 2026, ranging from 0.1 percent to 0.4 percent compared to the previous month, with notable increases in Perak (0.4 percent), Terengganu, Kelantan, and Kuching (0.3 percent each).
Meanwhile, the unit price index for steel saw a decline between negative 0.2 percent and negative 10.5 percent month-on-month in selected areas, with Perak experiencing the largest drop at negative 10.5 percent, followed by Terengganu and Kelantan at negative 3.6 percent, and Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan at negative 1.3 percent.
On a year-on-year basis, the unit price index for cement increased by 0.6 percent to 7.4 percent in most areas of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, with the highest increase observed in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan at 7.4 percent, followed by Terengganu, Kelantan, and Kuching at 5.7 percent. The year-on-year unit price index for steel recorded decreases ranging from negative 0.6 percent to negative 8.2 percent, with the most significant drop in Perak at negative 8.2 percent, followed by Terengganu and Kelantan at negative 4.8 percent, and Miri at negative 4.0 percent.
The average price of Ordinary Portland cement remained stable at RM25.80 per 50-kilogram bag. Additionally, the average price per unit of steel, including mild steel round bars and Mycon 60 high tensile deformed bars, decreased by 3.0 percent, with an average price of RM3,327.30 per tonne, down from RM3,431.90 per tonne in September 2026.