Budget 2024: Works Ministry requests for higher allocations to maintain highways and roads nationwide

• Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said this is important to ensure the quality of highways and roads nationwide is at its best level and meets international standards.

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 29): The Works Ministry (KKR) has requested an increase in allocations in Budget 2024, to focus on the maintenance and periodic works of highways and roads nationwide.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said this is important to ensure the quality of highways and roads nationwide is at its best level and meets international standards.

“KKR has requested more allocations than what we received this year for maintenance and periodic works on highways and roads. From what we are requesting, we may not get 100% but at least the allocation will be increased.

“For this year, the allocation we received for maintenance and periodic works was RM1.5 billion but our needs are much more than that, maybe three times the amount to ensure that our roads are levelled according to international standards,” he said.

He said this to reporters after officiating the open payment toll collection system at the Loke Yew Toll Plaza on the Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya) on Friday.

Commenting further, Nanta said that there are many works that cannot be carried out due to financial constraints.

“So, this is one of the things we emphasised on, with the Ministry of Finance, in the preparation of Budget 2024. We have high hopes that we can carry out these maintenance works, in an effort to support the ministry’s MYjalan campaign.

“This maintenance issue is related to the safety issue of road users. If possible, we want to avoid fatal accidents, especially those caused by a damaged road surface, potholes, or the like,” he said.

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