Baru Bian: Roads in bad shape for lack of money

About RM2 billion needed every year, but less than half is allocated, and PWD cannot resurface the roads every seven years as they should, says minister.

Roads must be resurfaced every seven years but in Malaysia, this is not done, says works minister. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA: Budget constraints have led to poor maintenance of federal roads and other infrastructure under the works ministry, Putrajaya revealed today.

In an interview with Bernama, Works Minister Baru Bian said some RM2 billion needed annually for maintenance works, but unfortunately, the ministry’s budget for this was only between RM600 million and RM800 million.

The sum, he said, is not even close to 50% of the actual budget needed and because of this, about 30% of federal roads are in poor or bad condition.

“Roads can last up to seven years before they need to be resurfaced. In Malaysia, we don’t do that because we lack funds.

So it’s a problem because at the same time we are also maintaining and implementing other projects,” he was quoted by the news agency as saying.

The Selangau MP said this when asked to whether he agreed with public perception that Malaysia had “third world” standards when it came to maintaining “first world” infrastructure.

Pan-Borneo Highway being renegotiated with contractors

On a separate issue, Baru said his ministry was looking at the implementation if the multi-billion ringgit Pan-Borneo Highway, with special focus given to its overall costs.

The highway, which links Sabah and Sarawak, is the biggest project in the two states.

“If there is an opening where the stakeholders are open and understand the whole restriction that we have as a nation, looking at the economic downturn, we are looking at that possibilities and see how much we can agree.

“We don’t force people but we try to negotiate on it. Having said that, of course, we don’t want to compromise on the technical requirements and also the scope of the project and the security aspect of it must be protected,” he said when asked if the government would insist on a review of the overall project costs.

Baru revealed that some meetings on this issue had started between the contractors and the finance ministry during which “some suggestions” were conveyed to them.

“They are supposed to come back and we will see what decision that would be made on the ministry’s suggestions,” he said.

He said that about 22.2% of Phase 1 of the highway on the Sarawak side had been implemented as of May while on the Sabah portion, tenders had been issued for 12 packages out of the total 35. -FMT