Independent auditors added to highway maintenance contracts for transparency

The Sun

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry (KKR) will include the involvement of independent auditors as a new component in highway maintenance contracts starting next year.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said third-party auditing is important to ensure that monitoring does not rely solely on the Public Works Department (JKR), but also involves external parties to enhance accountability, integrity and transparency.
He said most of the maintenance contracts will expire in February 2026.
'Without external auditors, monitoring of concession companies would rely only on JKR officers to ensure that maintenance work is properly carried out,' he told Bernama after appearing as a guest on a Bernama Radio programme today.
Nanta stressed that the public has the right to safe and quality road maintenance services, and that the ministry is committed to ensuring that the transition to a new system is not only more transparent but also effective in safeguarding the interests and safety of all road users.
Meanwhile, during the programme, Nanta said every highway concessionaire entrusted with road maintenance must comply with the contract and carry out their duties efficiently and responsibly.
He noted that there are still parties which fail to fulfil their responsibilities despite various public complaints, including viral images and videos.
'As such, I, along with senior KKR and JKR officers, have gone to the ground ourselves to investigate and assess actual performance in the field.
'The government will re-evaluate the need to impose legal action or penalties against road maintenance contractors or concessionaires if it is proven that negligence led to fatal accidents, especially if they stem from failure to carry out required maintenance work as stipulated in the contract,' he said.
Nanta added that current maintenance contracts include clauses for payment deductions if contractors fail to deliver, including on road safety aspects.
'In addition, the contract also allows for termination if the contractor fails, is negligent, violates, or does not fulfil their responsibilities in carrying out routine maintenance as required,' he said.
On the MYJalan mobile application, Nanta said that between August 2023 and June 30, 2025, it recorded 39,371 complaints. Of these, 11,959, or 30.4 per cent, were screened and identified for investigation and action by relevant agencies for roads under KKR's jurisdiction, while the remaining 27,412, or 69.6 per cent, were categorised as No Wrong Door (NWD) complaints. - Bernama