TAWAU: The Works Ministry has approved an allocation of RM130mil for periodic maintenance of pavements and non-pavements for federal roads in Sabah this year.
Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said RM9.979mil of this amount was allocated to the Tawau district.
"Today, I inspected the condition of federal road R13 Jalan Sandakan-Tawau following numerous complaints about poor road conditions, including from local representatives during parliamentary sessions. Incidentally, there was also a culvert collapse here that caused road structure damage.
"I found that a culvert collapse occurred at Section 256.295, causing one lane to be closed to road users. An allocation of RM1.506mil has been approved to rebuild the road and the collapsed culvert, with work expected to be completed by October," he told reporters after inspecting the collapsed culvert.
Additionally, Nanta said another inspection at Section 249.77 found structural road damage along a 0.55-kilometre stretch. A special allocation of RM1mil has been approved for road repairs to prevent accidents.
"The implementation of maintenance work for federal roads in Sabah is under the full supervision of the Sabah Public Works Department, appointed as the representative of the federal government," he added.
He noted that his ministry needs approximately RM4 billion to maintain all federal roads in the country but for several decades it has received a budget of around RM1bil annually.
"That's why there is a backlog of unmet needs. To perfect our road quality through maintenance, we hope to receive a budget of more than RM1bil per year in the upcoming budget, as the current budget only covers 25 per cent," he said.
He also said the ministry will be applying for a higher allocation next year under a special programme to improve roads, considering Malaysia will assume the Asean chairmanship that year and that 2026 is Visit Malaysia Year.
"Continuous focus on road maintenance is a commitment by the government to consistently provide comfortable and safe infrastructure for all Malaysians," he added.
He also took note of public complaints regarding street lighting issues and urged concession companies to come up with practical solutions within financial means, including installing cat-eye lights or solar lights on dark and risky roads.- Bernama
