Malaysia's Bamboo Dreams Keeps Hitting Red Tape Wall

Ahmad Mazlan Othman, a structural engineer and a veteran in the construction industry, remembers the hoops he had to jump through to secure approval for building the bamboo mosque in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu.

“As it is a public building, we needed approval from the local authorities, including the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba). I had to present the proposal to Bomba in Kuala Terengganu and later again at Bomba headquarters,” he told Bernama in an interview via Google Meet.

In his presentation, Mazlan had to specify that the mosque would be a standalone, single-storey, open-air structure with easily accessible exits, among other safety considerations. After some time, the project was eventually approved and the mosque was built.

However, Mazlan said the approval process is rarely consistent. Each new project comes with a different set of hurdles, and at times local authorities fail to respond to applications altogether.

“I submitted a plan many years ago to a local authority. They sat on it for two years without doing anything. They just didn’t know what to do… finally my client gave up,” he said.

In the age of sustainability and mitigating climate change, Malaysia has not fully accepted bamboo for use in construction, unlike its neighbours.

Bamboo is exactly the type of low-carbon building material that Malaysia’s construction industry needs as the country works towards its sustainability and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.

But current regulations and the lack of clear standards reflect a reluctance to fully use it as a construction material, even when there are international standards and guidelines for bamboo construction.

Malaysia aims to reduce GHG emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

For sustainability experts and environmental advocates, the continued inaction on bamboo, a material widely recognised for its environmental benefits, presents a clear paradox.

 

Construction is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to embodied carbon generated during the manufacturing, transportation and installation of building materials, as well as emissions from building operations and demolition activities. Often, the high energy-usage stems from the burning of fossil fuels during the production of steel and cement.

This is where bamboo, an environmental powerhouse capable of absorbing up to five times more carbon dioxide and producing 35 per cent more oxygen than equivalent timber, could help reduce carbon emissions.

“Bamboo emits more oxygen than any other plant and (absorbs) more carbon dioxide. So there are so many wonderful properties of bamboo,” Mazlan said.

According to “A systematic review on green practices in the Malaysian construction industry: Status, challenges, key motivations, rating systems and technology evolution” paper by Rohimatu Toyibah Masyhur et al, published in scientific journal Buildings and Energy in July 2025, Malaysia’s construction industry ranked 30th in emission contribution. Globally, the construction industry is responsible for 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 40 per cent of energy consumption. In Malaysia, the construction industry accounts for 24 per cent of emissions, an increase from the 10 per cent contribution from the manufacturing and construction sector in 2020, according to the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

Additionally, construction and demolition waste is also a major contributor to climate change. Studies have found that the waste emits methane as it decomposes, pollutes the environment, and takes up significant landfill space, even though more 75 per cent could potentially be reused or recycled.

Globally, construction and demolition waste accounts for roughly one-third of the world’s waste, with 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste generated in 2020, according to researchers Jonathan Soto-Paz et al in “The Circular Economy in Construction and Demolition Waste Management: A Comparative Analysis in Emerging and Developed Countries” published in the Journal of Building Engineering. Scientists estimate that emissions and waste from the sector could more than double from 2018 levels by 2050.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, Malaysia aims for its emissions to peak by 2030 before reducing between 15 and 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent by 2035.Under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Malaysia has also pledged to reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels. In practical terms, if producing RM1 million worth of goods or services in 2005 released 100 tonnes of carbon emissions, the same level of economic activity should release no more than 55 tonnes by 2030.

 On top of that, Malaysia is planning to enforce a carbon tax on steel, iron and energy manufacturers at an estimated rate of RM15 per tonne of emissions beginning this year. The initiative is currently in the measurement and reporting phase, but analysts expect the costs to eventually be passed down the supply chain, potentially pushing up commodity prices.

Taking advantage of bamboo’s abundance in Malaysia can help mitigate the costs, while aiding the environment. It can benefit local and indigenous communities, boost tourism, as well as help keep building material prices lower in remote and interior areas.

“It is particularly suitable in locations where transporting concrete and steel is costly and logistically challenging,” said Norhazaedawati Baharuddin, senior researcher at the Fibre and Biocomposite Centre of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB), in a statement.

And yet, given bamboo’s rapid growth and strong carbon absorption capabilities, bamboo advocates remain concerned that Malaysia still lacks national standards governing its use in construction.

 

Bamboo poles latticing the exterior of high-rise  buildings is a common sight in Hong Kong. However, when a devastating fire blamed on bamboo scaffolding, substandard safety netting and plastic foam, killed 168 people last year, it confirmed Malaysia's long-held fears about the use of the giant grass in construction.

Malaysia has its own example of a fire involving bamboo. In 2021, six bamboo chalets at a resort in Negeri Sembilan went up in flames. No fatalities were reported.

Bamboo burns quickly and intensely if left untreated. Because of this, Malaysia has remained cautious about using bamboo in the construction sector.

Under the Uniform Building By-Laws (1984), which are periodically updated, and the Fire Services Act 1988, bamboo is only permitted for use in ‘temporary structures.’

Bomba Assistant Fire Commissioner with the Fire Safety Division, Dr. Zaid Abd Ghani, told Bernama that bamboo could not be approved as a permanent building material under current regulations due to its combustibility and the lack of an established fire rating.

“Bamboo burns faster compared to timber,” he said. “In terms of its physical and biological properties, it is combustible. It is easy to burn because it is a dry organic material.”

Adding to the challenge, there is currently no officially recognised method in Malaysia to adequately protect bamboo from fire. While international standards exist for the structure, design and safety of bamboo in construction, they do not yet provide comprehensive results from extensive fire-rating tests.

At present, bamboo structures can only obtain approval by complying with guidelines for temporary buildings, such as being less than 18 metres in height, not connected to other buildings, and having wide, easily accessible exits.Bamboo must also be treated to improve its fire resistance. However, due to variations in species, moisture content and density, the results of fire safety tests conducted on one type of treated bamboo may not necessarily apply to another.

Norhazaedawati told Bernama that researchers at MTIB, together with industry players and universities, are currently working to develop national regulations and standards for bamboo, as well as engineered bamboo products suitable for construction.

“With adequate engineering and performance validation, both round and engineered bamboo systems can be designed for permanent structural applications,” she said.   

Beyond fire safety concerns, bamboo also faces market prejudice as a low-cost and often perceived low-quality construction material. The sector is further constrained by a shortage of trained local professionals skilled in bamboo structural design and construction techniques.

Even though the country has introduced programmes to encourage bamboo cultivation, there remains limited downstream industry once the plant matures, with most bamboo currently used for furniture, furnishings and food products.

Sustainability experts and environmentally-forward builders say the situation is partly due to a lack of codified standards governing bamboo construction. Without such standards, demand for bamboo as a building material remains low, which in turn discourages the development of a skilled workforce.

IEN Consultants, a firm specialising in green building design, energy efficiency and sustainable engineering, describes the situation as a classic ‘chicken-and-egg’ dilemma.

“The absence of policies supporting the adoption of bamboo as a building material discourages wider commercialisation. Without official building standards and codes permitting the use of structural bamboo, many architects and engineers remain reluctant to incorporate bamboo into their projects,” wrote Alia Meor, a consultant with the company, on the company’s website.

“This creates a cycle where neither demand nor supply can grow unless one side takes the first step,” she added.

With growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable materials, the urgency to develop Malaysia’s downstream bamboo industry is becoming increasingly apparent.

 

Much of the bamboo planted under Malaysia’s Community Bamboo Farming Programme, run by the MTIB, is expected to mature this year or next.

However, Mazlan fears the fledgling bamboo industry could struggle to survive unless demand increases or stronger support emerges to bridge the gap between harvest and the establishment of policy standards.

If bamboo farmers are unable to sell their produce, they may eventually abandon the crop altogether or switch to more lucrative alternatives such as oil palm.

What Mazlan hopes to see is broader encouragement and stronger support for bamboo’s use in construction.

“Construction is the fastest way to utilise bamboo. Of course, bamboo is a miracle plant — people used to say, don’t ask what you can do with bamboo, but ask what you cannot do with bamboo. Almost everything is possible with bamboo. But the fastest way I see it being adopted in this country is through construction,” he said.

Encouraging the use of bamboo in construction, even within current regulatory limitations, could help mainstream the material while encouraging more professionals to develop expertise in bamboo-based building techniques.

Mazlan also believes authorities should stop treating bamboo as an afterthought in national development planning.

“Moving forward, I think it’s time for Malaysia to  establish a dedicated agency for bamboo development.  If we are really serious about developing bamboo as a commodity in this country, we need a specific agency.

“We also need better understanding and support from local authorities,” he added.