A TOTAL of 1,087 slopes across Malaysia have been classified as high risk and are now under close surveillance by the Public Works Department (JKR) as the country prepares for the 2025 northeast monsoon season.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the slopes were among 34,400 monitored nationwide. Of the high-risk sites, 1,066 are located in Peninsular Malaysia, seven in Sabah, one in Sarawak, and 13 in the Federal Territory of Labuan.
“The BiGBen system monitors all slope categories using the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence. It plays a vital role in disaster preparedness,” he said during the Ministry of Works' northeast monsoon readiness programme at the JKR’s BiGBen disaster operations centre today.
He added that the system not only tracks slope activity but also monitors floods, landslides, road subsidence and bridge damage, providing near real-time data through inputs from JKR officers stationed at district level.
“This information benefits agencies such as the National Disaster Management Agency, state governments, and district offices, and is also made accessible to the public via a mobile application,” he said.
Through the app, road users can check full or partial road closures and obtain updates on available alternative routes.
In Sabah, where 10 federal road slopes have so far been identified as problematic, JKR has deployed technical officers to provide on-site advisory support in cooperation with the Sabah Public Works Department and state authorities.
“We are still assessing the total cost of damage. As the situation is ongoing, we do not want to release provisional figures that might change. If internal funds are insufficient, we will submit a request to the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
Meanwhile, JKR has also announced that it has strategically positioned 238.7 metres of Bailey bridge components in seven storage sites nationwide to ensure emergency response capability during disasters.
The Bailey bridge stock is located at the JKR Kedah Roads Division and district offices in Temerloh (Pahang), Kuala Pilah (Negeri Sembilan), Johor Bahru (Johor), Petaling (Selangor), and Kinta (Perak), as well as the Machang district in Kelantan.
In addition, the states of Melaka and Terengganu have procured additional Bailey bridge components using the 2025 Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS) allocation for disaster readiness and emergency deployment. - September 19, 2025
