Malaysia’s construction material prices showed mixed movements in February, with steel prices declining while cement and aggregates recorded modest increases, according to the latest data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia.
The department’s Unit Price Index of Building Materials indicated that the cement price index rose between 0.2% and 1.1% month-on-month, with the largest increase recorded in Kuching at 1.1%, followed by Perak at 0.4%.
Similarly, the aggregates price index registered a slight increase during the month, with month-on-month changes ranging from 0.1% to 3.4% across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.
In contrast, steel prices continued to soften, with the unit price index declining between 0.2% and 1.4% compared with January.
On an annual basis, steel prices also remained lower. The index for steel fell between 1.2% and 8.1% year-on-year across most regions, reflecting continued easing in construction material costs.
The largest decline was recorded in Kuching (-8.1%), followed by Sibu (-7.1%) and Miri (-6.8%).
Meanwhile, the steel and metal sections price index showed a modest monthly increase, rising between 0.3% and 1.6% across all regions.
Despite only marginal monthly increases, cement prices remained higher on a yearly basis.
The cement price index rose between 0.8% and 5.9% year-on-year in February, with the strongest increase recorded in Pahang (5.9%), followed by Perak (5.5%) and Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan (5.1%).
In terms of actual prices, the average price of steel, including mild steel round bars and Mycon 60 high tensile deformed bars, declined 1.4% month-on-month to RM3,404.40 per metric tonne, compared with RM3,454.00 per metric tonne in January 2026.
Meanwhile, the average price of Ordinary Portland cement edged slightly higher by 0.2% to RM25.35 per 50kg bag, up from RM25.30 in the previous month.
The data highlights ongoing price adjustments in Malaysia’s construction sector, with steel costs easing while cement and aggregates continue to trend slightly higher across most regions.
