60% Of Roads In Selangor Need A Total Overhaul

In a report by The Star, about 60% of roads in Selangor, where some are between 30 to 40 years old, have “expired” and are the reason for consistent potholes and defects.

Izham Hashim, the Chairman of the State Infrastructure and Public Amenities, Agricultural Modernisation and Agro-based Industry Committee said roads mature within 15 to 20 years and will require upgrading beyond that particularly to its sub-base layers. 

Temporary measures like road patching would not help improve road conditions if nothing is done to the subgrade and sub-base layers. 

Overloaded vehicles have also been singled out as the other main contributor to road defects. 

Another issue that Izham voiced out is the process to have the road repaired or patched back. In Selangor, there are five authorities responsible for roads. 

“Because there are many agencies involved, issues such as budget constraints and lack of communication delay road maintenance.

“Local councils and Selangor JKR (Public Works Department) have an allocated yearly budget to fix roads under Marris (Malaysia Road Record Information System) fund, whereas there is no such system for federal roads,” said Izham. 

In 2019, Izham proposed to restructure the ownership and maintenance of roads in the state to fall under only two agencies but not much progress has been made.

Images: Britannica and JKR Kuala Langat