The Ministry of Public Works (KKR) is implementing three key maintenance strategies to tackle damaged and pothole-ridden roads on federal highways, the Dewan Rakyat was informed today.
Deputy Minister of Public Works, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan, explained that the approaches include routine maintenance, periodic maintenance, and emergency maintenance, all carried out by appointed federal road concession companies.
Routine maintenance is scheduled to prevent minor damage from escalating, such as early patching of potholes. Periodic maintenance involves more comprehensive repairs, addressing both the road surface and underlying structures.
“For emergency maintenance, repair work is carried out immediately if critical damage occurs that could compromise road user safety. For federal roads, potholes must be patched within 24 hours of being identified,” he said.
Ahmad was responding to a question from Zahari Kechik (PN-Jeli) regarding the federal road maintenance allocations for each state in 2024 and 2025, as well as government efforts to ensure damaged and pothole-affected roads are addressed effectively.
On the disparity in road maintenance between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, Ahmad noted that RM341.7 million has been allocated for federal road maintenance in Sabah for 2025 through the Public Works Department (JKR).
He added that state and municipal roads fall under the responsibility of state governments via the Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS) funded by the Ministry of Finance.
“If there are still severely damaged roads, the state government is responsible for their maintenance, along with agricultural roads under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and rural roads under the Ministry of Rural Development. These are the key players ensuring roads in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak are properly maintained,” he said.
