MALAYSIA’S roads are not safe. This fact is backed by several studies and by the many fatalities caused by damaged roads, as well as a federal minister’s confession that insufficient funds are allocated to maintain the country’s roads.  

A 2022 study by driver’s education firm Zutobi revealed that Malaysia’s roads were the second deadliest in the world after Saudi Arabia. 

The study said there were 22.76 road traffic deaths per 100,000 people recorded in Malaysia, an alarming number with only 16 other countries hitting double-digit figures in this regard. Malaysia was also one of only two countries to exceed the 20 deaths per 100,000 people mark on the list. 

There was also a 2023 study, formally known as “The World’s Safest Roads” by American car subscription company Finn, which ranked Malaysia fifth for countries with the most dangerous roads and third for countries where one is most likely to die on the road.   

Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi last month complained that for decades now, the country had been making do with only 25% of the RM4 billion needed to keep federal roads in good condition. 

“To improve our road quality through maintenance, we hope to receive a budget of more than RM1 billion in the upcoming budget, as the current allocation only covers 25%,” Nanta had said.  

With inadequate funding, is the government not culpable for the many road crashes taking place due to potholes and other terrible road conditions? 

An optimistic Nanta said the ministry would be applying for a higher allocation next year under a special programme to improve roads in view of Malaysia assuming the Asean chairmanship in 2025 and with 2026 being Visit Malaysia Year. 

“Continuous focus on road maintenance is part of the commitment by the government to consistently provide comfortable and safe infrastructure for all Malaysians,” he said.   

Misplaced priorities 

During the tabling of the 2024 Budget last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the government had pledged RM10 million to the then newly launched Palestine Humanitarian Fund, to be managed by the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs). 

No doubt the Palestine issue has become Anwar’s pet project, but is it coming at the expense of funding other important projects that would directly benefit Malaysians? 

Is the prime minister unaware of the inadequate funding the government has been dishing out to the Works Ministry? Is road safety not on the government’s radar?   

The World Health Organisation last year said road crashes are the leading cause of death among those aged five to 29. This is evident in Malaysia with reported traffic accidents increasing to 598,635 in 2023 from 545,588 in 2022.  

Equally disturbing is the escalation in fatalities, which more than doubled from 6,080 to 12,417 over the same period. 

Then there is a 2017 report which highlighted that each traffic fatality incurred an average cost of RM1.2 million to the country; RM120,000 for severe injuries and RM12,000 for minor injuries, encompassing medical expenses, lost productivity, and other compensatory measures.

The August 2, 2023 launch of the Works Ministry’s MyJalan mobile application, which allows the public to lodge complaints over adverse road conditions, received 5,836 complaints as of December 6, 2023. 

From January to June last year, the Works Ministry spent RM73.45 million to fix potholes and maintain street furniture like guardrails, signages, drains, faded road markings, lamp posts, and road dividers on all federal roads nationwide. 

Prior to the MyJalan app, the Works ministry had launched its Aku Janji Zero Potholes (I Promise Zero Potholes) campaign in 2016. The two-year-long endeavour was reintroduced in July 2020. 

Potholes seem to be a critical factor influencing road fatalities. In May, a 32-year-old teacher died from serious injuries after she lost control of her motorcycle while trying to get past a pothole along Jalan Gapam-Bemban in Malacca. 

The country’s potholes menace in 2019 compelled a senior citizen to risk life and limb to patch up such potholes in Taman Pelangi, Johor Baru. Cycling around with a bucket of tar and some rags, the Chinese senior citizen would squat in the middle of the road to cover up its potholes. 

Is this man not risking his life to keep other road users safe? Isn’t this the responsibility of the government of the day? – August 14, 2024.