SUKAU: Sabah UMNO Chief, Datuk Seri Panglima Bung Moktar Radin, has urged the government, through the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR), to take the deteriorating road conditions in the state seriously.
The Kinabatangan Member of Parliament stated that he personally inspected the condition of the road connecting Tawau, Sandakan, and Kota Kinabalu and found the situation deeply concerning.
“I was shocked to see the extremely poor condition of the road, with an estimated 30 to 40 percent of it damaged. Potholes are everywhere, some deep enough to cause damage to vehicle rims. This is very dangerous, especially when drivers suddenly swerve to avoid potholes at high speed,” he said.
He made these remarks to reporters after attending a Ramadan Iftar and donation distribution event for the asnaf (needy) at Kampung Bilit Mosque and Tun Juhar Mosque in Sukau on Thursday.
According to Bung Moktar, the condition of Sabah’s roads has reached a critical level and poses a threat to public safety.
“Potholes are everywhere, many sections are damaged and collapsing… Hari Raya Aidilfitri is approaching, but all we see are contractors cutting down oil palm trees and pushing soil to the roadside for the Pan Borneo Highway project. Meanwhile, the existing roads continue to be neglected, causing hardship for the people,” he emphasized.
He also compared the current situation to when UMNO and Barisan Nasional governed Sabah in the past.
“During our administration, contractors were always ready to repair roads immediately. Now, I see repair work is very slow, and there are even large potholes resembling ponds on main roads, especially along the Lahad Datu-Sandakan-Telupid route,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bung Moktar declined to comment extensively on the statement by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, which he claimed was merely an attempt to divert attention from the weaknesses of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration.
“There’s no need to talk about trust. He has jumped parties several times, was detained under the ISA (Internal Security Act). I don’t want to entertain someone like this,” he said.
He stressed that the people have the right to determine a government that is truly capable of addressing their needs, rather than one that merely blames the previous administration.
“I want to emphasize once again, the GRS government is the most failed government in history,” he said.
Also present at the event was UMNO Sabah Secretary and Sukau Assemblyman, Datuk Jafry Ariffin.
