DEPUTY Minister of Public Works Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan today criticised opposition lawmakers for seeking large-scale development allocations in their constituencies while refusing to back the 2026 Budget.
Reacting to a supplementary question from Muhammad Islahuddin Abas (PN-Mersing) on road upgrades, including proposals to connect the Senai-Desaru Highway to Mersing and the East Coast Expressway 4 (LPT4) from Pekan to Mersing, as well as the current status of the Mersing bypass project, Ahmad said,
“Mersing ini pembangkang, minta bukan main banyak lagi. Semalam pembangkang-pembangkang ini tak menyokong pun belanjawan, tetapi minta berjela-jela.
“Kenapa tak sokong semalam, lepas itu minta itu, minta ini…belanjawan semalam pun untuk rakyat, tapi mereka tak sokong.”
The 2026 Supply Bill was passed at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday with 120 MPs voting in favour, 67 against, and 35 absent.
Ahmad emphasised that the Public Works Ministry is committed to upgrading highways and main roads in Johor in preparation for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which is expected to stimulate economic growth and traffic flow in the area.
He said nine primary JS-SEZ zones have been designed to ensure seamless infrastructure connectivity via bridges, highways, and ports. The Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Finance, and Public Works Ministry have approved several projects under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMK12), including additional lanes on the North-South Expressway (PLUS) from Yong Peng Utara to Senai Utara (Phase 1) and the expansion of the Pasir Gudang Highway from four to six lanes from Persimpangan Bertingkat Perling to the PLUS on-ramp.
Under the First Amendment Plan of the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (RMK13), further projects have been approved to support JS-SEZ development, including early works to upgrade Jalan Parit Panjang from Pekan Air Baloi, Pontian to the Sedenak Toll Interchange, and the Senai-Desaru Highway upgrade from Sungai Johor Bridge to Desaru.
Ahmad’s response addressed the original question on the ministry’s readiness to expand highways and main roads in Johor, which are increasingly congested due to rising vehicle numbers and rapid development in Iskandar Malaysia, particularly ahead of the JS-SEZ implementation. - November 5, 2025
