Investigating Reasons for the Unsuccessful Extension of Time (EoT) Claim in the Malaysian Construction Industry; Views from the Professionals

Abstract

Construction claims are often being cited as difficult and complex; hence, the rejection of claims is regarded as common in the construction industry. Such situation will generally lead to various consequences, among which are conflicts and disputes. In this respect, this paper aims to investigate the reasons for the rejection of EoT claims in the Malaysian construction industry. Findings were drawn from a consolidation of practitioner’s perceptions via questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. However, this paper will only present results obtained from the semi-structured interviews which was conducted to complement findings gathered from the questionnaire survey. The results revealed that failure by the contractor to establish the cause-effect relationship, inadequate supporting documents, non-entitlement in principle/non-valid ground/s, late submission, and non-compliance to the conditions of the contract are the top five (5) reasons for the failure of the submitted claim. The findings suggest the important areas that require much attention. Proper record keeping and management are obviously essential as these are the keys that determine the success of any claim.