Critical Delay Factors in Typical Physical Projects: The Case of the 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 have not been fully achieved, thus affecting the 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 11th 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 were analysed using the relative importance index (RII) and Spearman's correlation to identify the most critical delay factors and their association with delay effects. A total of 38 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.