Following brickbats over a recent substandard road repair work in a low-cost residential area in Lembah Pantai, an officer of the constituency’s MP said that the work is just a “quick fix”, pending a proper upgrade.
Izhar Yusof, political secretary to the MP and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, told Malaysiakini that Fahmi had merely stepped in to assist residents in the area, adding that the road in question is also privately owned.
He alleged that this was because the management committee of the residential flat in the area had repeatedly failed to fix the potholes on the road.
“Actually, the Lembah Pantai parliamentary office was only assisting residents in carrying out a quick fix on the pothole-ridden road, after receiving a request from the residents’ association, as the management corporation has yet to take action,” Izhar claimed.
He said Fahmi’s office only temporarily patched the potholes for safety and did not resurface the entire road, which requires adherence to different procedures.
“Although the area in question is private property, out of compassion and in response to residents’ appeals, we stepped in to help ensure the safety and comfort of residents, whilst awaiting appropriate action from the responsible party,” Izhar told Malaysiakini when contacted.
He said Fahmi is also ready to assist the management committee in securing funds for proper resurfacing works, as this would require adherence to different procedures set by the Implementation and Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department for private roads.
“Full road resurfacing works must go through the proper process and involve the appointment of a contractor by the ICU, as the area falls under the management of the joint management committee, which is the responsible party.
“For allocations under the MP’s office, the ICU will carry out a price assessment and appoint a contractor. This is the standard condition and procedure if there is an approval letter from the joint management committee,” Izhar explained.
However, he did not reveal how much Fahmi’s office spent on the temporary road fix.
As of press time, Malaysiakini was unable to reach the flat’s management committee.
Public criticism
On May 25, Fahmi shared before-and-after photos of the roadwork. He said his office paid for the work and expressed hope that it could help ensure the safety and well-being of all road users in the area.
The initial photo showed a road surface in a significantly deteriorated state, with extensive cracking, surface breakup, and multiple potholes running along the length of the carriageway, warranting comprehensive resurfacing works.
However, images of the completed works drew considerable public criticism, with many questioning the repair quality.
Instead of resurfacing the entire affected area, contractors laid a narrow, irregular strip of fresh asphalt along the centre of the road, leaving the deteriorated surfaces on both sides wholly unattended.
The patching quality seems poor; the edges are jagged and unfinished, and the surface appears insufficiently compacted.
‘Looks like gotong-royong’
Road safety activist Azlan Sani Zawawi, better known as Lando Zawawi, then criticised the quality of road repair works carried out after Fahmi shared the photographs on his Facebook page.
“First of all, I want to thank Fahmi because at least there has finally been some action. The pothole has already become very big. Its size is almost half a sedan car. Definitely would have taken months, if not years.
“It is embarrassing if people know this is the budget quality coming from Parliament.
“It looks like community gotong-royong standards. At least do a proper mill and pave job. You are an MP, even a minister. Not a village committee,” Azlan posted on his Facebook.
Azlan then shared that the resurfacing site should have been cleaned first, and that no traces of mud or soil should be present at the resurfacing site.
“Because how is the tack coat supposed to adhere if the surface is still dirty? Or was no tack coat even sprayed? There is one image showing tack coat only poured at the edges.
“Even if a cold mix is used, a dirty surface like that still needs to be cleaned first using a water jet. And this is the shortcoming of that contractor,” Azlan said.
Azlan, who contested the Tanjong Karang parliamentary seat in the 15th general election under Pejuang, has been a vocal critic of the quality of roadworks in Malaysia.
He has spoken out about potholes, road maintenance, and public infrastructure issues, while also highlighting road safety risks on social media.
Azlan has also visited and documented problematic road conditions around Malaysia, and at times engaged directly with authorities and contractors to push for repairs. - Mkini
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