Sarawak cities among the nation’s biggest movers in key building materials
KUCHING: Sarawak continued to see rising construction material costs in May 2026, with Sibu, Miri and Kuching ranking among the country’s top gainers in steel, sand and cement price indices.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported that steel prices increased nationwide compared with April, with monthly gains ranging from 0.1 to 1.3 per cent.
Sibu and Miri each recorded a 0.8 per cent increase, placing them second nationwide behind Pahang.
Sand prices also climbed across the country. Sibu posted a 3.7 per cent increase, matching Johor for the second-highest rise after Sandakan’s 9.7 per cent jump.
Meanwhile, aggregate prices rose between 0.3 and 4.7 per cent nationwide, while cement prices increased by between 0.2 and 2.1 per cent.
Sarawak also led the annual cement price growth rankings.
Miri recorded the highest year-on-year increase at 7.5 per cent, followed by Kuching at 7.4 per cent. Both exceeded the 6.9 per cent increases recorded in Perak and Pahang.
According to the department, steel price indices nationwide rose between 1.1 and 10 per cent from May 2025, while sand prices increased between 1 and 22.9 per cent.
The average steel price increased to RM3,517.50 per metric tonne in May from RM3,504.20 in April, while Ordinary Portland cement rose to RM25.95 per 50kg bag from RM25.90.
Higher material costs were also reflected in Sarawak’s Building Material Cost Index (BCI) with steel bars, which recorded monthly increases of between 0.1 and 1.1 per cent across all building categories.
The trend indicates that construction cost pressures remain elevated, particularly as steel and cement prices continue to rise.
