Lafarge Cement Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafarge Malaysia Berhad, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CIDB Holdings Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia, to promote the use of cement and concrete and improve construction standards and sustainable construction practices.

Under the MoU, Lafarge and CIDB will collaborate to provide training and certification to construction personnel. This partnership aims to develop a pipeline of trained and skilled personnel, which will ultimately elevate construction standards in Malaysia.

The MoU was signed by Bradley Mulroney, president and CEO of Lafarge Malayan Cement Berhad and Dato' Sri Ir. Dr Judin Abdul Karim, CEO of CIDB Malaysia and Chairman of CIDB Holdings Sdn Bhd, in the presence of Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, Deputy Minister of Works, Malaysia and Datuk Dr Abu Bakar bin Mohamad Diah, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia.

Lafarge and CIDB will collaborate on key areas, including the sharing of experience and transfer of knowledge in the areas of construction relating to cement and concrete usage solutions. Participants will also be trained on the appropriate usage of cement and concrete materials and its benefits.
 
"At a time where Malaysia is moving closer towards its goal of becoming a high-income, developed nation, the pursuit of sustainable development is crucial now more than ever. Our partnership with CIDB is a testament to our commitment towards driving sustainable development in Malaysia and ‘Building Better Cities' through elevating construction standards," said Mr Mulroney.
 
Dato' Sri Ir. Dr. Judin Abdul Karim added: "CIDB aims to support the development of a world-class construction industry as Malaysia plays a more significant role in the global economy on the back of its development into a high-income nation. With the construction industry expected to continue on a growth trajectory going into 2014, our partnership with Lafarge aims to support the industry and in particular, to develop a steady stream of trained construction personnel skilled in the use of concrete and cement materials."