It’s not the same as the last time,” says Datuk Ezumi Harzani as he reflects on his second term as president of the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), a position he took up in August last year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. His first term had been in 2018 to 2019.
“Owing to the circumstances, challenges are aplenty [for the industry]. There are not many new projects for architects as launches [and government projects] are limited, with some being put on hold. There are also many design revisions due to affordability [issues] and changes in market demand that has caused disruptions in the market pattern.”