YTL Cement Bhd, the oldest and largest homegrown cement company in Malaysia, will continue to support the country's development and construction needs, Datuk Sri Michael Yeoh, the company's managing director said.

In this regard, YTL Cement and the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the country's construction industry's transition to sustainable construction.

CREAM is the research and development arm of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

The MOU was signed by YTL Cement Marketing Sdn Bhd executive director Patrick Pereira and CREAM's chief executive officer M Ramuseren, witnessed by Yeoh and CIDB chief executive officer of construction industry Datuk Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid.

The three key areas highlighted in the MOU are human resource development, research and development (R&D), and supporting the construction sector to transition to sustainable construction.

YTL Cement, according to Yeoh, has been a part of Malaysia's growth for over 70 years.

He said that the building industry's standards are becoming more sophisticated and technically demanding.

"With buildings and structures getting taller and more advanced, CIDB is now more relevant than ever before. There is an increasing need for a qualified workforce within the construction industry and greater demand for innovation and bespoke solutions.

"Another area that is of growing importance is the environment, social and governance (ESG). As Malaysia's oldest and largest homegrown building materials group, we are actively promoting sustainability in our operations, offerings, and activities. These are areas that we want to work with CIDB through this MOU," he added.

Datuk Ir. Ahmad Asri Abdul Hamid, chief executive of CIDB said the board is dedicated to building Malaysia's sustainable future by developing a socially and environmentally responsible industry.

"Through this MoU, we hope to drive meaningful change as we develop the capacity and capability of the construction industry as well as set the standards for sustainable construction practices in Malaysia. We are glad to be able to collaborate with like-minded players like YTL Cement, as we share a common goal to future-proof the construction sector," he said.