KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has some of the worst roads in the country and repair allocations are never sufficient, said state Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
He said that nearly half of all federal roads in Sabah are classified as Condition 5, the worst rating under the Public Works Department’s road condition index.
Many roads have exceeded their 20-year design lifespan, needing major upgrades, which were delayed mainly due to funding constraints.
Shahelmey said the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) submits annual reports and funding requests to the federal government, but the approved amounts are always insufficient.
He said the funding requests cover certain road lengths, but due to shortfalls, they must prioritise based on safety and urgency.
As a result, repair and maintenance can't keep pace as roads deteriorate faster than they can be fixed.
Shahelmey cited the Pan Borneo Highway as an example, which should have been built over 15 years ago.
"We need maintenance for about 110km of roads each year, but we’re only getting enough for 50 to 60km. That creates a backlog year after year, and now the roads are ageing faster than we can fix them," he said.
Routine maintenance is no longer effective on severely damaged roads as pothole patching only provides a temporary solution.
Full upgrades are needed for these damaged roads as the base layers are beyond repair.
The problem is more severe on stretches not included in the Pan Borneo Highway project, despite ongoing maintenance on other road parts.
Other factors contributing to Sabah’s poor road conditions are worsening weather and increasing industrial traffic, especially heavy-duty vehicles transporting silica, sand and construction materials.
When asked how the public can report road conditions in Sabah, Shahelmey said there are online platforms like the federal MyJalan app, mainly used in Peninsular Malaysia, and Sabah’s Aplikasi Aduan Jalan Raya Sabah, managed by JKR.
