Malaysia's construction sector is plagued by corruption and bureaucracy, raising costs and resulting in poor-quality developments, reports said Thursday.

Industry players and analysts said at a forum on integrity in the sector that graft was pervasive at all levels, and blamed red tape as well as the large number of players and contractors involved in getting projects completed.

Roslan Awang Chik, president of the Malay Contractors Association, said giving a bribe was so common there "has not been a single moment in the industry where it was not doled out."

"From licensing and tendering to consultation and approval of projects, or from the acceptance to the completion of a project, we have to give out money. If you hold on to your principles, you don't get the job," he said, according to the Star daily.

"There is always a giver and receiver - contractors and decision-makers, contractors and consultants, and contractors and suppliers," he said.

Roslan also pointed to the reluctance to report graft, saying "those who pay are afraid to report for fear of being blacklisted."

Shafee Yahaya, former director general of the government's Anti-Corruption Agency, said the government had to make it a priority to grapple with the problem of pervasive corruption.

"Political will is paramount in most cases," he said.

Correct the weaknesses

Forum participants reportedly said the fallout from corruption resulted in project delays, high costs and poor-quality developments.

"The end product reflects the integrity of the entire industry," said Khairuddin Abdul Rashid from Malaysia's International Islamic University.

"The whole procurement chain needs to be checked, and policy makers and industry players must correct the weaknesses," he said.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has made combating corruption a centrepiece of his administration's policies since coming to power in 2003.

A recent survey found that a majority of Malaysians are opposed to corruption but most pay bribes anyway due to a sense of helplessness over rampant graft.