RM2 bln needed annually to maintain federal roads – Baru

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Works (KKR) needs at least RM2 billion annually to repair and maintain damaged federal roads nationwide.

Its newly minted minister Baru Bian said over the past three years, KKR had only received an estimated RM600 million to RM800 million annually for the maintenance of these roads even though several applications to increase the allocation were made.

“Now I understand why the roads we have now are patched only because the allocation given is insufficient and does not even reach 15 percent.

“While I was told that we needed to pave the roads every six to seven years, otherwise the status of the road will be bad and, now we have 30 percent of federal roads in poor and bad condition category,” he said during his first media conference after clocking in at his office in the KKR Complex here yesterday.

Hence, he would bring the issue of allocation to the next Cabinet meeting for follow-up action.

Baru, who is also Selangau MP, said the KKR would also give priority to infrastructure development in five states, namely Sabah, Sarawak, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu which are considered backward within the next five years.

He said among the development that needed to be given priority are facilities like highways, state roads, airports and universities.

KKR will also upgrade 245 out of 394 dilapidated schools nationwide. Out of the total, 158 schools are in the peninsula, 50 in Sabah and 37 in Sarawak.

Meanwhile, in regards to the Pan Borneo Highway project, Baru said that the government has yet to make a decision on whether to review the project.

“We would like to have this highway, but if there is a need to review, we will review and we need to look at the feasibility of the implementation and then we need to balance with the needs of the people and costs,” he said.

As of now, he said the phase one of the Pan Borneo Highway project was still ongoing with 36 percent completed.

When asked on Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remark that formal reports must be filed in order for Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud to be investigated, Baru who is also Sarawak PKR chief, claimed that there had been 18 to 20 investigation files linked to Taib being opened.

“I know some said there are reports that need to be made first, but from my knowledge, before this there have been 18 to 20 investigation files opened in Sarawak, and I’ve been told some of them implicate the TYT.

“I have raised this issue many times and asked what is the conclusion of those files, until now we don’t know, but my stand is this, investigate if there are complaints,” he added. - Bernama