SANDAKAN – Sabahans must remain patient with damaged roads connecting Sandakan and Telupid if they want to enjoy toll-free roads, said Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
In his capacity as the state’s works minister, Bung Moktar reminded the public that roads in the state are toll-free.
“Sabah is unique. We want our roads to be built fast. I can give that to the contractor but we have to pay a toll. Sabahans don’t want to pay the toll. If this is free, then we must wait,” he said at a press conference here, yesterday.
Bung Moktar was referring to public complaints about the pothole-strewn 6.4km stretch of road connecting Sandakan and Telupid.
After the deputy chief minister announced in March that the road will not be repaired seeing that the Pan Borneo Highway Project is going to be completed in two years, frustrated Sabahan road users have asked for the road tax to be waived until the new highway is completed.
The old road’s condition has deteriorated so much that locals have been referring to it as “jalan bulan” (moon road), as it resembles the pockmarked surface of the moon.
Bung Moktar said that he had acquired an allocation of RM256 million to repair the damaged road, but was advised that the improvement will only last for a short time as the road’s life expectancy has expired in 2018 and it needs to be reconstructed from its foundation.
“Yes, this has become viral (on social media). I am scolded by the people every day over this road. But I think wasting RM200 million on a road that will collapse again ‘the next day’ is a bad idea. So, I plead for the Sabahans to be patient,” he said.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong who was also at the press conference explained that Putrajaya cannot simply waive road tax for Sabahans seeing that it generates a revenue of RM3 billion.
“I understand the Sabahans about this problem, but this involves the central government’s policy. We will re-discuss this issue with the Sabah government and Sabah Works Department; but we understand, if Sabah requests, Sarawak will be requesting too,” Wee said.
As of now, he said, only the disabled are given exemption from paying the road tax. – The Vibes, June 13, 2022.
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