A Study of the Potential Problems and Possible Solutions for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line

Chan, Sheng Hao (2020) A Study of the Potential Problems and Possible Solutions for the MRT Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Malaysia has been developing and modernising slowly but surely as the years progresses. Many sectors have experienced major growth and development, with one of it being the construction sector. This allows the Malaysian construction industry to undergo specialist construction projects such as infrastructure and public transportation projects. One such project is the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya line. The developer of this project, which is MMC-Gamuda, will face many difficulties as well as challenges and problems that may occur during the construction process. The most obvious issues would be economic issues such as cost overruns, technical problems or limitations as well as any changes in societal or administrative policies. Such problems can bring about negative impacts to the construction project as a whole, thus effective solutions should be put forward to prevent such disadvantages. This study is carried out with the purpose of determining the most probable issues that may occur for the said project, as well as the prevalent impacts of such issues and the best method to mitigate such negative impacts. This study utilises the survey method by requiring a sample of the entire population to answer a questionnaire, which consists of practicing professionals as well as students. This is to enable the perspectives from both professionals as well as academics to be studied and possibly applied in real practice, as well as to obtain information and data from a largely specialised population in a short time and cost efficient. The results of this study indicates the opinions of both the students and professionals in the construction industry. From the results, the general consensus of the entire population to answer a questionnaire, which consists of practicing professionals as well as students. This is to enable the perspectives from both professionals as well as academics to be studied and possibly applied in real practice, as well as to obtain information and data from a largely specialised population in a short time and cost efficient. The results of this study indicates the opinions of both the students and professionals in the construction industry. From the results, the general consensus of the respondent group is that cost performance is the biggest issue in the MRT SSP project, ranking first amongst all of the other issues. For the second ranked issue, the students and professionals are divided in this respect, with both groups selecting technical issues and formation of sinkholes respectively. Similarly, both respondent groups are divided for the third ranked issue, with the students choosing formation of sinkholes while the professionals chose presence of karstic limestone geology. As for the impacts of such issues, both respondent groups opine that effects to the cash flow and completion date is the biggest impact to the project. The second ranked impact for the student and professional respondents are causing critical delay and cost overruns respectively for each respondent group. The respondent groups are equally divided in the third ranked impact, of which the students select the occurrence of problems leading to delays while the professionals chose project cancellation or suspension. For the solutions to such impacts, preparing a comprehensive list of risks is the first ranked solution. Similarly, both respondent groups chose creation of new technologies as the next best solution. Both groups are divided on the third ranked solution, with the students opting for acknowledging bias and optimism, while the professionals chose using Reference Class Forecasting (RCF) as the solution of choice.