BIM for Geoinformation in Malaysia and Turkiye - Current Status

Abstract

This paper reviews the status and progress of Building Information Modelling (BIM) with geoinformation systems in Malaysia and Turkiye, emphasizing their respective efforts toward 3D digital land administration. Both countries recognize BIM as a key enabler in the digital transformation of the built environment, supporting spatial data management, cadastral modernization, and smart urban governance. In Malaysia, particularly in Sarawak, the integration of BIM with the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) focuses on native customary rights (NCR) land and enhancing strata management through semantic enrichment of 3D building data. This research-driven initiative by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the Land and Survey Department Sarawak highlights the potential of BIM – LADM mapping for transparent and efficient 3D registration of legal spaces. Conversely, Turkiye has made notable progress through government-led pilot projects such as Amasya and Yenimahalle, which demonstrate operational integration of BIM, LADM, and CityGML for 3D cadastre, condominium ownership, and urban infrastructure management. In comparison, Malaysia takes approaches driven by local legal needs, while Turkiye focused on national policies and data standards. Despite these differing approaches, both nations face shared challenges in semantic conversion, georeferencing, data harmonization, and limited institutional capacity. The findings conclude that BIM and geoinformation offers significant potential for improving digital land administration in both countries. To advance this goal, the paper recommends strengthening policy frameworks, enhancing capacity building, and promoting collaborative research to develop standardized workflows for BIM – LADM integration. Joint Malaysia – Turkiye initiatives under international platforms such as ISPRS or FIG could accelerate the realization of interoperable 3D cadastral systems and contribute to global advancements in smart land governance.