Works Minister Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi has called for stronger collaboration among government agencies to accelerate infrastructure delivery, saying Malaysia’s biggest challenge is no longer planning projects but ensuring they are implemented efficiently.
Speaking at the launch of the Malaysia Public Works Strategic Collaboration Programme 2026 on Tuesday, Nanta said delays caused by land acquisition, utility relocation, poor inter-agency coordination and slow decision-making should no longer be accepted.
“People do not judge us based on our excuses. They judge us based on results,” he said.
Nanta urged ministries, government departments, technical agencies, utility providers and other stakeholders to break down organisational silos and make collaboration a routine practice to resolve issues more quickly.
He stressed that infrastructure development should not be viewed solely as the construction of roads, bridges or buildings, but as investments that create jobs, improve access to education and healthcare, enhance public safety and boost investor confidence.
“When a road is completed, what we are really building are employment opportunities, better mobility and the future of a community,” he said.
The minister also called for a new way of measuring success, saying achievements should not be based only on the number of approved projects or kilometres of roads built.
Instead, he said the focus should be on whether infrastructure projects improve people’s quality of life by providing safer travel, reducing logistics costs and attracting more investment.
Nanta described Sabah and Sarawak as key priorities in the country’s development agenda, saying major projects such as the Pan Borneo Highway, Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) and the proposed Trans Borneo Highway play an important role in strengthening economic growth and national unity.
He also commended the Ministry of Works, the Public Works Department (JKR), the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), and the Sabah and Sarawak governments for the progress made on major infrastructure projects over the past two years.
While acknowledging improvements in project delivery and cross-agency cooperation, Nanta warned against complacency, saying Malaysia must continue improving efficiency, innovation and reforms to remain competitive.
He added that digital transformation is now essential, with the ministry expanding the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM), artificial intelligence (AI), asset digitalisation and data analytics to enhance planning and infrastructure management.
