Kuala lumpur: The unit price index of steel recorded an increase of between 0.4 per cent and 1.9 per cent in September 2025 compared to the previous month, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM). Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin reported that the highest increase was observed in Miri at 1.9 per cent, followed by Perak at 1.8 per cent and Sibu at 1.7 per cent.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the unit price index of steel and metal sections showed a slight increase in September 2025, with a month-on-month change ranging from 0.2 per cent to 0.5 per cent in all areas of Malaysia. Meanwhile, the unit price index of cement remained unchanged in most areas, except for a slight increase in Terengganu and Kelantan (0.4 per cent) and Sandakan (0.3 per cent).
Mohd Uzir highlighted that an annual comparison between September 2024 and September 2025 indicated a decline in the unit price index for steel, ranging from -2.8 per cent to -8.6 per cent across most areas in the country. The highest decrease was observed in Penang, Kedah, and Perlis at -8.6 per cent.
Nevertheless, the year-on-year comparison of the unit price index of cement showed an increase between 0.5 per cent and 3.9 per cent in September 2025 compared to the same month last year. Tawau recorded the highest increase at 3.9 per cent, followed by Sandakan at 2.8 per cent, and Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan at 2.5 per cent.
Additionally, Mohd Uzir noted that the average price per unit of steel, including mild steel round bars and Mycon 60 high tensile deformed bars, recorded a slight increase of 0.7 per cent, with an average price of RM3,516.11 per tonne compared to the previous month’s RM3,491.35 per tonne. The average price of Ordinary Portland cement also showed a slight increase of 0.2 per cent, with an average price of RM23.90 per 50 kg bag compared to August 2025’s RM23.85 per 50 kg bag.
A monthly comparison of the Building Material Cost Index (BCI) with steel bars for all building categories in Peninsular Malaysia recorded a slight increase ranging from 0.1 per cent to 0.8 per cent in September 2025 compared to the previous month. This increase was observed across all building categories and areas. Similarly, BCI with steel bars in Sabah recorded a slight increase of between 0.1 per cent and 0.6 per cent, and in Sarawak, it registered an increase ranging from 0.1 per cent to 0.8 per cent for all categories of buildings.