Sabah’s federal roads are deteriorating faster than they can be fixed, and Works Minister Datuk Shahelmy Yahya says it all boils down to one thing: not enough money from the federal government.
Shahelmy revealed that nearly 50% of federal roads in the state are in Condition 5, the worst possible rating under the Public Works Department’s road condition index, with many having already surpassed their 20-year design lifespan.
“We need maintenance for about 110km of roads each year, but we’re only getting enough funding for 50 to 60km,” Shahelmy said, adding that the shortfall has snowballed over the years — causing Sabah’s road conditions to worsen faster than funds can catch up.
“That creates a backlog — year after year — and now the roads are ageing faster than we can fix them,” he added when met by reporters during a breaking-of-fast event held in Kota Kinabalu, last night.
For instance, Shahelmy said roads like the Pan Borneo Highway should have been upgraded more than 15 years ago — but the project was delayed.
“Roads like the Pan Borneo Highway should have been built or upgraded over 15 years ago — but weren’t.”
Shahelmy who is getting a lot of heat from various political groups over the problem said routine patching no longer works on many of these worst-hit roads.
“These roads are in such bad shape that pothole patching only lasts temporarily.
“The base layer is already damaged, so you can’t just patch it. Full upgrading is necessary.”
The situation is particularly dire on stretches not covered under the Pan Borneo Highway and while construction is ongoing on some parts, many others are forced to be left behind.
“For roads not included in the project, maintenance is still ongoing — though many are already in poor shape,” he said.
Shahelmy said worsening weather conditions and increasing industrial traffic are also accelerating the wear and tear.
“With new investments and growing business activity, traffic has increased — not just regular vehicles but also heavy-duty industrial ones transporting silica, sand, and construction materials.”
“And the last two months have seen unusually heavy rain,” he said.
Shahelmy noted Sabah’s Public Works Department submits annual maintenance funding requests to the federal government, but what’s approved rarely matches what’s needed.
“Every year we request allocations for a certain length of roads, but the amount approved is never enough.”
“So the length we can maintain gets cut and divided based on priority,” he said.
Maintenance and upgrades for federal roads in Sabah fall under the responsibility of the federal government.
While the state’s Public Works Department handles on-the-ground implementation, funding comes from the Works Ministry in Putrajaya, which received an allocation of RM9.511 billion in 2024.
Of the figure, Sabah was approved RM130 million specifically for federal road maintenance the same year.
Despite the challenges, four areas — including Paitan and parts of Kalabakan — have been identified for federally funded upgrades, while two more locations are pending confirmation.
Still, he said the state is doing what it can with what it has.
Shahelmy pointed to resurfacing works in Kunak–Lahad Datu, following complaints from Daily Express journalist Ibrahim Tabir.
“Thankfully, the road has since improved,” he said.
He also ordered emergency repairs at Lot M in Lahad Datu near Kampung Paris ahead of the festive season and confirmed the Keningau–Kimanis road — previously damaged by landslides — is now usable again.
“Temporary slope repair has been done, but the area is still exposed,” he said.
“There’s no turfing or shotcrete yet, so runoff could disrupt the slope again.”
Permanent design work is underway, including in areas with underground spring seepage.
Shahelmy also clarified that while the federal MyJalan app mainly serves Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah has its own road complaint platform — Aplikasi Aduan Jalan Raya Sabah — developed and managed by JKR.
“Maybe the promotion for this app hasn’t been very strong,” he said. – March 23, 2024
