Critical Delay Factors in Typical Physical Project: The Case of Ministry of Home Affairs in Malaysia

In Malaysia, public projects have been consistently reported as dilapidated and delayed, causing the government to bear financial losses. Furthermore, the purposes of the projects are not fully achieved, thus affecting public interest. This study examined the critical contributing factors to the delay in implementing physical projects in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA). The scope involved the physical construction projects of the Immigration Department of Malaysia’s offices and premises in Malaysia, which was mandated in the Eleventh Malaysia Plan. A total of 105 respondents, including contractors, consultants, end-users, and clients, participated in a survey on the factors and effects of physical project delay. The data was analysed using the Relative Importance Index (RII) and Spearman's correlation to identify the most critical delay factors and their association with delay effects. Thirty-eight delay factors were identified, with contractor-related factors being the most critical, followed by consultant-related, client-related, and other factors. These delay factors were found to be positively correlated with the effects of delay, including time and cost overrun, quality, litigation and arbitration, and abandonment.