An annual allocation of RM32.8 million will be dedicated to routine maintenance on the Pan-Borneo Highway, in accordance with the handover schedule following the project's completion.
During the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (July 17), Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi stated that the ministry would appoint a concession company through a privatisation agreement to carry out necessary maintenance work.
In response to Datuk Ali Biju's (PN-Saratok) supplementary question regarding the review of 'P-turns' on the Pan-Borneo Highway, particularly in the Saratok area where many accidents have occurred, Nanta confirmed that such studies have already been conducted.
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During the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (July 17), Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi stated that the ministry would appoint a concession company through a privatisation agreement to carry out necessary maintenance work.
In response to Datuk Ali Biju's (PN-Saratok) supplementary question regarding the review of 'P-turns' on the Pan-Borneo Highway, particularly in the Saratok area where many accidents have occurred, Nanta confirmed that such studies have already been conducted.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
00:01For your information, Mr. Speaker,
00:04the Ministry of Home Affairs is always trying to ensure that the roads in this country are safe and comfortable.
00:14And as we are aware,
00:17the Pembonio celebration project in Sarawak,
00:20with a total length of 829.4 km,
00:26is expected to be completed by 2024,
00:30no matter what.
00:32For reasons that cannot be avoided,
00:34this project will only be completed in stages,
00:37which are 155.66 km in 2024,
00:44428.83 km in 2025,
00:51and a total length of 829.4 km by 2026.
01:03This is after calculating the defects liability period.
01:08We calculated the defects liability period.
01:11But what is ready is almost 100%.
01:16But we calculated the defects liability period.
01:19Therefore,
01:21the Ministry of Home Affairs will appoint a concession company
01:24through the agreement of the Ministry of Public Works
01:27as another road for the construction of roads in the Pembonio celebration,
01:34consisting of routine work throughout the year,
01:38pavement work,
01:40non-pavement work,
01:42and emergency work,
01:46according to the schedule.
01:49For your information,
01:51under the scope of routine work,
01:54the appointed concession company
01:56must conduct a routine road inspection
02:01twice a week.
02:03This is to ensure that if there is any road damage,
02:07such as a pothole,
02:09or pavement work,
02:12it must be carried out within 24 hours
02:16in accordance with the rules of public works
02:19which stipulates the rule of potholes
02:21or zero potholes
02:23on the roads of the whole country.
02:25This rule stipulates that the road potholes must be covered
02:30or taken by the concession company
02:33in less than 24 hours.
02:36The penalty will be imposed on the concession company
02:40if the action is taken
02:43more than the time of the action.
02:47So, the work of pothole coverage
02:49is the initial preventive step
02:53for the safety of the road users
02:56before the permanent pavement work is carried out.
03:00For your information,
03:03to improve the condition of the roads in a critical status,
03:08the Ministry of Public Works
03:10provides a pavement road inspection program
03:12based on damage notice
03:14or notice of defects
03:16provided by the pavement road inspection concession company.
03:19Through this NOD,
03:22the Ministry of Public Works will implement
03:24the pavement road inspection program
03:26in accordance with the priority and urgent needs
03:29to be made available to the Ministry of Finance
03:32for the approval process.
03:35So, the implementation of this pavement road inspection program
03:37is in accordance with the approval of the Ministry of Public Works.
03:42For your additional information,
03:45the concession contract for the pavement road inspection work
03:49in Leboh Raya Pembonio
03:51has been approved by the Ministry of Finance
03:54for three years
03:56which includes a total amount of Rp68 million.
04:01This contract will start in order
04:04following the approval of the pavement road inspection work
04:07after the project is fully completed.
04:10The total amount of approval has been estimated
04:13to be valid for a year
04:16to ensure that the road is always safe
04:20and comfortable to be used by all traffic users.
04:24With the existing pavement road inspection network,
04:27such as the MyJalan application,
04:30the Ministry will be able to monitor
04:32and pay more attention
04:34to road damage complaints
04:36from road users
04:38so as to provide better and more effective maintenance services.
04:44That's all. Thank you.
04:45Okay, I will now invite the Speaker.
04:48Thank you, Minister, for your broad answer.
04:52Before I present my additional question,
04:56I would like to welcome
05:00the ladies and gentlemen
05:02of JKM Daerah Sik.
05:11My additional question is
05:13whether the Ministry has any plans
05:15to study the impact
05:17from the safety aspects
05:19scientifically
05:21on the pavement road use issues in Pembonio,
05:24especially in the Selatuk area.
05:27Given the number of accidents
05:29that occur in the area,
05:32we would like to know
05:34where the location
05:36and the number of accidents
05:39are added to the human factors
05:41and the factors of mismanagement
05:44can contribute to the accidents in the area.
05:48It seems that the design standards
05:50used so far are not effective.
05:53In addition to the pavement road use issues
05:56as happened in Pekanjakar,
05:59I would like to know whether the Ministry
06:01has any proactive steps
06:03to avoid traffic jams
06:05caused by bad humans
06:07as happened in Pekanjakar
06:09during the last COVID-19 pandemic.
06:11These traffic jams occurred
06:13as a result of the sudden closure
06:15of the Pembonio road
06:17which was previously open
06:19and this forced vehicles to use the road
06:21through Pekanjakar,
06:23which is already full of traffic jams.
06:25Many complaints and accusations
06:27from the netizens
06:29were posted on social media
06:31causing suspicion and conspiracy theories
06:33against the involved parties.
06:35Thank you.
06:37Thank you, Minister.
06:39We have been asked about
06:41this PETERN.
06:43This PETERN,
06:45for your information,
06:47the selection and distance
06:49for each PETERN
06:51on the Pembonio road
06:53is based on
06:55traffic studies
06:57that have been carried out
06:59previously
07:01and also according to
07:03the speed specification
07:05that is safe,
07:07that is close to
07:09high population areas.
07:11So,
07:13you are right.
07:15The main function
07:17of this PETERN
07:19is to allow
07:21road users
07:23to turn right
07:25when
07:27in the provided
07:29lane and
07:31continue the journey safely
07:33to exit the PETERN.
07:35So, this is
07:37an ease.
07:39Therefore, road users
07:41should not stop in the PETERN
07:43to give way
07:45to other road users.
07:47However,
07:49the ministry admitted
07:51that many road users
07:53still do not understand
07:55the function of the PETERN.
07:57I myself
07:59almost
08:01had an accident in the PETERN
08:03because the vehicle
08:05in front of me
08:07suddenly wanted to use the PETERN
08:09but from
08:11that direction,
08:13it should not have turned.
08:15It should have entered the PETERN.
08:17So, the two vehicles in front of me
08:19almost collided.
08:21So, we had to brake.
08:23So, that is actually
08:25what I can help
08:27to advocate to our road users
08:29about this PETERN.
08:31Because,
08:33before this
08:35PENBONEO,
08:37we did not have PETERN.
08:39PETERN is quite new.
08:41So,
08:43many of you do not understand.
08:45PETERN, if used properly,
08:47it is safe.
08:49But,
08:51they want to U-turn to the PETERN.
08:53That is the big problem.
08:55This is what happened.
08:57We have seen
08:59in our statistics.
09:01When they make a U-turn,
09:03it is not safe.
09:05Because they did not have time
09:07to speed up.
09:09If it is a PETERN, it can wait outside
09:11the actual tunnel.
09:13So, it is safe.
09:15The design is made to be safe.
09:17But, if it is used improperly,
09:19I am sorry.
09:21So, it caused many accidents
09:23in this PETERN.
09:25So,
09:27the function is
09:29to make it easier for road users.
09:31Because, if we do not have PETERN,
09:33maybe if we want to wait
09:35until we reach Simpang,
09:37for them to make a U-turn,
09:39maybe it is too far.
09:41So,
09:43that is what happened
09:45in Sarawak,
09:47in Pentbonio.
09:49So, this awareness campaign will be
09:51developed to locations that
09:53record accidents
09:55due to the misuse of PETERN.
09:57So, in this matter,
09:59Sarawak Transport Agency has announced
10:01readiness to work together
10:03to give awareness to road users
10:05on how to
10:07use PETERN
10:09in the near future.
10:11This is one of the ministry's initiatives
10:13to ensure
10:15road accidents in this country,
10:17especially in Pentbonio,
10:19are safe and comfortable.
10:21That is all. Thank you.