IPOH: The East-West Highway that connects Perak’s Gerik with Kelantan’s Jeli is in need of massive upgrades to improve its condition and safety, says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
The Perak Mentri Besar said state infrastructure committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has been tasked with preparing a working paper detailing things required to improve the road.
“It’s high time we look into the highway’s alignment and condition,” he said in a press conference after opening Perak Export Day here yesterday.
“The highway was built during (Malaysia’s second prime minister) Tun Abdul Razak Hussein’s time to stop incursions by communists.
“Mohammad Nizar and the Public Works Department will need to review and list down the things needed to be done, be it to widen the road, the construction materials needed, lines on the road or street lights,” he said, adding that some stretches of the road could no longer be patched up.
Fifteen Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students were killed after a bus crashed on the highway on Monday.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that the site of the tragedy was already earmarked for rehabilitation this year with an allocation of RM55mil.
Saarani said a new hospital is also needed in Gerik to provide treatment to victims due to the high frequency of accidents on the highway.
“Gerik needs a new hospital as well as experts, staff and facilities. A separate paper will be prepared by state health committee A. Sivanesan on this,” he said, adding that both papers will be forwarded to the federal government for consideration to be included in the next Malaysia Plan.
“I will also speak to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on June 15 about the proposals to improve the situation near the highway,” he added.
