logo
Not enough funds to fix roads, says Ahmad Maslan, RM4 billion needed but only RM2.2 billion allocated

Not enough funds to fix roads, says Ahmad Maslan, RM4 billion needed but only RM2.2 billion allocated

Malay Mail5 days ago
KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 — The Works Ministry (KKR) requires additional allocation for road maintenance, as it is becoming increasingly urgent to ensure that infrastructure remains in optimum condition.
Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the main causes of road damage in Malaysia include weather factors such as heavy rain and heat, overloaded vehicles, and the natural lifespan of the roads.
'Typically, after 10 to 20 years, they need to be maintained to ensure they remain safe for use. However, we at the ministry are facing a shortage of funds.
'To properly maintain roads this year, we need RM4 billion. However, we only received RM2.2 billion – a shortfall of RM1.8 billion or 45 per cent. Nevertheless, we will continue efforts to secure a bigger budget for next year,' he said after appearing as a guest on Bernama TV's Ruang Bicara programme yesterday.
Based on data from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), he said 13 per cent of road accidents are due to road conditions such as the absence of road markings, potholes, and inadequate lighting.
'Seven per cent are caused by vehicle-related factors, while human error remains the main contributor to road accidents at 80 per cent.
'The annual death toll from road accidents remains high at around 6,000, underscoring the need to address recurring causes, including factors related to road conditions," he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said the MyJalan mobile application, launched in August 2023, has made it easier for the public to lodge complaints about damaged roads, with all reports accepted under the 'no wrong door' policy.
This includes complaints beyond the ministry's jurisdiction, which are then channelled to the relevant agencies, such as the Rural and Regional Development Ministry for rural roads, the Housing and Local Government Ministry for municipal roads, and state Public Works Departments. — Bernama
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tesla beats Chinese rivals in some driving assisted tests
Tesla beats Chinese rivals in some driving assisted tests

Free Malaysia Today

timean hour ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Tesla beats Chinese rivals in some driving assisted tests

Tesla scored the best in the highway test among 36 models, with its Model 3 and Model X passing five out of six scenarios. (Reuters pic) BEIJING : Billionaire Elon Musk's Tesla outperformed Chinese rivals including BYD, Xiaomi and Huawei in a test of assisted driving technologies on China's highways, according to results published by TikTok owner Bytedance's auto unit Dcar. State television CCTV and Dcar jointly tested the level 2 advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) from more than 20 electric vehicle brands in China and rated their performance in a series of scenarios with higher risks of accidents on highways and urban traffics. The test videos posted by Dcar went viral on Chinese social media. Tesla scored the best in the highway test among 36 models, with its Model 3 and Model X passing five out of six scenarios, while BYD's Denza Z9GT and Huawei-backed Aito M9 failed in three scenarios. Xiaomi's SU7 passed in one of six. In a Weibo post today, HIMA, the Huawei-led auto alliance, said it declined to comment on the 'so-called test'. BYD and Xiaomi didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. 'Due to laws against data export, Tesla achieved the top results in China despite having no local training data,' Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on his X account today. Tesla has been caught in what Musk described as a 'quandary', as the US doesn't allow its artificial intelligence (AI) software to be trained in China, while the automaker has been seeking approval from Chinese regulators to transfer data saved locally in Shanghai back to the US for algorithm training. 'Domestic brands should face up to the gap with Tesla in autonomous driving,' Wang Yao, deputy chief engineer of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, told an auto forum in Shanghai earlier this month. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, in remarks after a Tesla Model Y delivered itself from an Austin, Texas factory to its owner in the area roughly 30 minutes away, said 'we will continue to learn' from Tesla which has led industry trends. The test came amid growing safety concerns in China about the ADAS after a highway accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 killed three people in March. State media have blamed misleading promotions for resulting drivers' improper uses of the technologies and the authorities have banned the uses of terms such as 'smart driving' and 'autonomous driving' for marketing driving assistance features. The public security ministry said this week that the country will set out legal responsibilities related to the technology that has yet achieved true autonomous driving. 'Drivers face safety and legal risks if they are distracted in accidents when assisted driving is turned on,' the ministry warned. Xiaomi had seen a slump in new EV orders as a consumer backlash began in April following the fatal trash, but the impact seems short-lived, with its new electric SUV receiving exceptionally strong initially orders after it went on sale last month. Tesla's sales of its China-made electric vehicles edged up 0.8% in June from a year earlier, snapping an eight-month losing streak, but they continued to fall on a quarterly basis in the face of lower-cost new models from its Chinese rivals. Tesla's assisted driving suite is available in China for nearly US$9,000, while the technology from its local rivals including Xiaomi and BYD is without extra cost, pressuring the US automaker's self-driving future. Tesla's technology approach relies solely on cameras as sensors and AI while most Chinese peers including BYD use light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors additionally to ensure performance.

Woman hospitalised after car plunges into sinkhole on Singapore's Tanjong Katong Road
Woman hospitalised after car plunges into sinkhole on Singapore's Tanjong Katong Road

Malay Mail

time5 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

Woman hospitalised after car plunges into sinkhole on Singapore's Tanjong Katong Road

SINGAPORE, July 27 — A female driver was taken to the hospital after her car fell into a sinkhole along Tanjong Katong Road in Singapore yesterday. Singapore's national water agency PUB said on Facebook that the woman was rescued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and was conscious at the time. A video circulating online shows a car almost fully submerged in the water-filled sinkhole. PUB stated that the sinkhole occurred at approximately 5 pm, adjacent to an existing PUB worksite, and affected two lanes of the road. 'The police, SCDF, and Land Transport Authority (LTA) are currently on site managing the situation,' the agency added PUB said that two water mains were damaged in the incident, and efforts are underway to isolate the affected pipes. Meanwhile, LTA said both directions of the affected road have been closed to traffic as a precautionary measure while the incident is under investigation. 'Our contractors are on site to assist with the repair of the road,' it said, advising motorists to take alternative routes during this time. — Bernama

Gerik-Jeli highway sees spike in fatal crashes, 22 dead in just six months
Gerik-Jeli highway sees spike in fatal crashes, 22 dead in just six months

Malay Mail

time5 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

Gerik-Jeli highway sees spike in fatal crashes, 22 dead in just six months

KOTA BHARU, July 27 — From January to June this year, 257 accidents involving 442 vehicles were reported along the East-West Highway (JRTB) Gerik-Jeli. According to Gerik police chief Supt Abdul Samad Othman, the accidents included eight fatal cases, resulting in 22 deaths. Among the fatalities were 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), who were killed in a horrific accident on June 9. 'The number of deaths reflects the total number of victims who died, as fatal accidents often involve more than one casualty. For example, a fatal bus crash on June 9 alone claimed 15 lives, all of whom were students from UPSI,' he said when contacted by Bernama today. Abdul Samad added that the 442 vehicles involved in the accidents included 287 cars, followed by 55 multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) or vans, 42 motorcycles, 38 pickup trucks, 17 lorries, and three buses. On July 22, Bernama reported that, according to the 2024 traffic census by the Public Works Department (JKR), the JRTB route remains at a good level of service, with its current configuration able to accommodate the present traffic volume. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi reportedly said that a total daily traffic volume of 2,409 vehicles was observed on the JRTB route, with heavy vehicles accounting for 751 vehicles, or 31.2 per cent of the total. 'The JRTB route is categorised as hilly terrain, with its alignment designed to follow the contours and topography of the Titiwangsa mountain range. Its geometric design as the two-lane single carriageway has met the required technical and functional standards for its construction,' he said. To improve road safety, JKR director-general Datuk Roslan Ismail said the department has implemented a blackspot treatment programme under its Road Safety Infrastructure Upgrade initiative. Since 2018, 16 accident-prone locations along the route have been identified. 'The approach is based on the principle of 'Low Cost, High Impact.' If the treatment method applied is appropriate to the type of accident occurring, the accident rate at those blackspot locations can be reduced at relatively low cost,' he explained. — Bernama

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store