Works Ministry only gets half the money needed for road repairs nationwide, says Ahmad Maslan
BACHOK: The Works Ministry requires RM4bil annually to repair damaged roads nationwide but has only received nearly RM2bil due to limitations faced by the government, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
The Deputy Works Minister also said rainy weather and overloaded heavy vehicles are the two main factors for damaged roads in the country.
"My ministry always hopes that we will get more allocations each year to repair damaged roads as there are old and require resurfacing," he told reporters after officiating the Bachok Umno division delegates' meeting here on Saturday (June 28).
He said that the ministry had previously suggested that any collection made by the Road Transport Department – including road tax and speeding summonses – be handed to the ministry to use for road repairs but the suggestion never received any feedback.
"If there is any suggested additional taxes from heavy vehicles as mooted by certain parties, they should be handed to the Finance Ministry or the Transport Ministry," he said. – Bernama

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9 hours ago
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BACHOK, June 28 — The Public Works Ministry (KKR) has revealed that rainy weather and overloaded heavy vehicles were the two main causes behind damaged roads in the country. Its deputy minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said RM4 billion was required to repair the damaged roads in the country, but the ministry has only received nearly RM2 billion due to limitations faced by the government. 'My ministry always hopes that we will get more allocations each year to repair damaged roads as there are those that are 'old' and require re-tarring,' he told reporters after officiating the Bachok Umno division delegates' meeting here today. He revealed that the ministry had previously suggested that any collection made by the Road Transport Department, including road tax and speeding summonses be handed to the ministry to use for road repairs but the suggestion never received any feedback. 'If there is any suggested additional taxes from heavy vehicles as mooted by certain parties, they should be handed to the Finance Ministry or the Transport Ministry,' he added. — Bernama


New Straits Times
9 hours ago
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RM4b needed to repair roads nationwide
BACHOK: Heavy rain and overloaded heavy vehicles are the two primary contributors to road damage nationwide, said Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan. He said due to these factors, the Works Ministry requires RM4 billion annually to repair and upgrade roads across the country. However, the ministry has only received close to RM2 billion, given the government's overall fiscal constraints. "To repair and upgrade roads nationwide, we really need at least RM4 billion, but we have never been allocated, nor have we ever received, that amount. "What we usually get is somewhere around RM2 billion due to the government's financial limitations. "Nevertheless, we continue to hope and have high expectations for higher allocations every year, because some roads are ageing and their surfaces need to be resurfaced, but resources are scarce," he said at a press conference after launching the Umno Bachok division delegates' meeting here today. Ahmad also revealed that the ministry had previously proposed that revenue collected by the Road Transport Department (RTD), including road taxes and traffic fines, be channelled to the Works Ministry to help fund road maintenance. "This proposal has already been raised, but we have yet to receive any feedback. "If there are suggestions from other parties to consider increasing taxes on heavy vehicles, we will leave it to the Finance Ministry and the Transport Ministry to study," he said. The government has been urged to consider raising taxes on heavy vehicles such as lorries and trailers, which are often blamed for extensive road damage. Experts suggested that the additional revenue could be allocated for road repairs. University Putra Malaysia's Faculty of Engineering Road Safety Research Centre head, Professor Law Teik Hua, was previously quoted as saying that the proposed tax could help the Works Ministry offset the RM4 billion annual road maintenance cost.


The Sun
11 hours ago
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Rainy weather, heavy vehicles main causes of damaged roads in Malaysia
BACHOK: The Public Works Ministry (KKR) has identified prolonged rainy weather and overloaded heavy vehicles as the primary reasons for deteriorating road conditions nationwide. Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan disclosed that RM4 billion is needed for road repairs, but only RM2 billion has been allocated due to government budget constraints. Speaking to reporters after officiating the Bachok UMNO division delegates' meeting, Ahmad Maslan emphasised the ministry's ongoing request for increased annual allocations. 'We hope for more funds each year to address ageing roads that require re-tarring,' he said. The ministry had previously proposed redirecting Road Transport Department (JPJ) collections—such as road tax and speeding fines—toward road maintenance. However, the suggestion received no response. Ahmad Maslan added, 'If new taxes for heavy vehicles are introduced, they should be managed by the Finance or Transport Ministry.'