RM4b Needed, Critical Road Repairs Come First

Due to budget constraints, road repairs in high-risk areas nationwide will be carried out in stages, prioritising the most severely damaged sections, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

Speaking at the Works Ministry’s Gawai Open House, he revealed that nearly RM4 billion is needed to fix all identified hazardous roads, far beyond the current available funding.


“We already have complete data on dangerous roads and the financial requirements. To fix everything would cost RM4 billion, but we don’t have that much allocation, so we will proceed in stages,” he says in a Bernama report.

He was addressing the ministry's response following the June 9 incident that claimed 15 UPSI student lives on the East-West Highway (JRTB) between Gerik and Jeli.

This year, according to the minister, RM55 million has been allocated specifically for upgrades to the JRTB, including the installation of 385 street lights and improved road markings.


Nanta added that the ministry is prioritising repairs based on its database, focusing first on roads in the worst condition.

“We focus on the critical ones first. Those that are damaged but not too badly will be delayed slightly,” he said, adding that road assessments follow the Pavement Condition Assessment (PCA) method using MLP and FWD technologies, with the JRTB assessment conducted from March 13 to May 13.


Commenting on calls to install guardrails at high-risk areas, Nanta said the Works Ministry is open to public feedback, including suggestions shared online.

"We take into account all views, from the public, netizens and relevant stakeholders. We will evaluate every suggestion carefully,” he further added.