THE asset maintenance policy under the Public Works Department (JKR) states that the appointed Federal road concessionaires must carry out temporary patching work within 24 hours to repair any damaged roads.
Works Minister, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, said following that, permanent patching work must be carried out within three days.
"This is stipulated in the JKR declaration through the customer charter related to damaged roads due to potholes.
"The Federal road concessionaire must do temporary patching within a day, while permanent repairs must be done within three days.
"However, for large-scale repair work, allocation applications must be made in advance on an annual and phased basis.
"The repair period will take between a month to a year, depending on the type and complexity of the repair as well as the approval of the allocated funds," he told Berita Harian today.
Last Friday, two brothers died after they lost control of the motorcycle they were riding when it hit a pothole on their way to school along Jalan Sengkang-Felda Inas-Bandar Tenggara.
The victims were identified as Norhazim Kamaruzaman, 17, and his younger brother, Nur Alif Ikhwan, 16, who was riding pillion.
Alexander said that the JKR, together with the appointed concessionaires, conduct inspections across the entire Federal road network every year for road maintenance and any needed repairs.
"The results of the inspection will be submitted to the government through the ministry for approval.
"After receiving approval for the work allocation from the government, JKR will instruct the concessionaires to carry out the necessary road repair works.
"This is identified as an 'overlay' method, where the damaged layer of pavement is removed and replaced with a new one," he said.
He said that the work can be carried out within a period of three weeks to three months, including traffic management during the repair period, after the allocation is received.
"However, it depends on the availability of concessions, work planning, and coordination with the agencies involved at the repair site," he said. – March 23, 2025
