428km of Sarawak Pan Borneo highway to be completed this year
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the current maintenance contract for the highway runs for three years.
"The future direction for maintaining the Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway is proposed to be limited to a 10-year period once the current maintenance contract ends.
"This approach mirrors the practice in Peninsular Malaysia via the Request for Proposal (RFP) process," he said in a written parliamentary reply to a question from Datuk Ali Anak Biju (PN–Saratok).
Alexander said the model opens opportunities for more companies to participate in future maintenance works, promotes healthy competition within the industry, ensures more effective project execution, and ultimately improves the quality of services for road users.
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The Star
36 minutes ago
- The Star
Nanta: Toll charges could've risen 83% without govt intervention
KUALA LUMPUR: Private vehicle users could have seen toll charges rise by as much as 83% at 10 highways nationwide this year if not for the government's decision to postpone the hike, says Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi (pic). He said the rates would have ranged between 50sen and RM4.56 for private cars or Class 1 vehicles, amounting to about RM136 monthly or RM1,632 annually. The projections were based on a private car user travelling on 10 tolled highways for 20 days a month, or 240 days annually. 'If there was no postponement, road users would have felt a significant impact. We hope that it can at least ease the cost of living burden, especially for those who use the highways daily,' he said during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. The 10 highways are the Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grandsaga), Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar), New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB), Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE), East Coast Expressway Phase 2 (LPT2), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge (JSAHMS), Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE), Maju Expressway (MEX) and the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (LLB). Nanta said the toll hike postponement would involve all vehicles – from Class 1 to Class 5 except for the LLB. The toll hike postponement for the LLB only applies to Class 5 vehicles, as Classes 1 to 4 have already reached the maximum toll hike rates allowed under the concession agreement. Class 1 vehicles generally refer to private cars, Class 2 for vans and light goods vehicles, Class 3 for heavy vehicles with three or more axles, Class 4 for taxis, and Class 5 for buses. He added that the government will also have to pay a compensation of RM568.92mil annually to the concessionaires owing to the postponement. Nanta was responding to a question by Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan), who asked about the implications of the government postponing toll rate hikes for this year. On July 23, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the postponement of toll hikes for 10 highways that were scheduled to take effect this year. On another matter, Nanta said abolishing tolls is not easy, adding that it will require the government to cough up billions for highway maintenance. He said the funds could instead be used for other priorities. 'Instead, the government funds can be used in states like Kelantan, Terengganu or Sabah and Sarawak, which do not have tolled roads,' he told Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut), who asked if the government planned to abolish tolls. The minister said there was a possibility that toll rates could be reduced once highway concessionaires achieve their return on investment. 'Then, we can possibly see toll rates be reduced,' he said.
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Malaysia holds special meeting to improve highway telecom coverage
KUALA LUMPUR: A special meeting was held to tackle telecommunications and internet coverage issues on Malaysian highways, according to Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. The discussion involved Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM). The meeting was prompted by frequent complaints from highway users about dropped calls and poor connectivity. Nanta stated, 'To date, approximately 50 kilometres of highways have been identified as not receiving telecommunications coverage, including in several sections of the PLUS Expressway, West Coast Expressway (WCE) and East Coast Highway 2 (LPT2).' Key outcomes from the meeting include the formation of a Special LLM-MCMC Task Force. This team will coordinate an action plan, identify critical drop call zones, and assess the need for additional telecom infrastructure. Highway concessionaires will also be engaged to implement both short and long-term solutions. Nanta emphasized the urgency of the matter, saying, 'This issue cannot be taken lightly. In an all-digital world, access to the internet and telecommunications network is no longer a luxury, but a basic necessity, including when on the highway.' Additionally, regional LLM and state MCMC teams are conducting on-site inspections to evaluate power supply facilities for infrastructure upgrades. Nanta also proposed MCMC's direct involvement in resolving frequency disruptions and supporting the multi-lane free flow (MLFF) system. He reaffirmed the government's commitment, stating, 'Our commitment is clear, not only to build roads, but also to ensure that the people are always connected smoothly and safely.' – Bernama
Focus Malaysia
12 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Abolishing tolls not feasible without billions in govt funding, says Works Minister
THE Ministry of Works has admitted that eliminating toll charges entirely is far from straightforward, especially when factoring in the heavy financial burden it would place on the government. According to Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, the main challenge lies in securing adequate funding. Without toll collection, the government would have to foot the bill for highway upkeep, a cost that could potentially reach into the billions. 'Our view is that it's not easy to abolish tolls. If we do, the government will need to find a massive amount of funding to carry out maintenance works. So, for this purpose alone, billions of ringgit would be required,' he said during a session in the Dewan Rakyat today. He added that using such vast sums for highway maintenance might not be the most efficient use of public funds, saying, 'If that's the case, we can imagine that such funds could be better allocated elsewhere, for example, in Terengganu, Sarawak, or Sabah.' The Minister made these remarks while addressing a follow-up question from Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN–Besut), who brought up an election pledge made by the opposition to abolish tolls if they came to power. He also inquired about the potential consequences of implementing such a promise. Rather than removing tolls entirely, Alexander proposed a more feasible solution: lowering toll rates. However, this would depend on whether the concessionaires have already recouped their investments. 'There may be no need to abolish tolls altogether. If the concession period has already yielded sufficient profit or ROI, then perhaps the toll rates, currently seen as burdensome, could be reduced. That would be more realistic,' he explained. Earlier in the same session, Alexander responded to a question from Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (PN–Pekan) regarding the financial impact of freezing toll hikes. He revealed that the government had paid a total of RM568.92 mil in compensation to the operators of 10 highways as a result of this move. He noted that this deferment had brought relief to around 941,000 motorists using those highways. 'The actual compensation amount the government needs to pay to concession companies due to this deferment depends on real traffic volumes. This RM568.92 mil figure is an average based on previous data, but the final figure is subject to audit verification by both the government and the concessionaires,' he clarified. Just last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who also holds the Finance Minister position, confirmed that toll hikes for 10 expressways would be postponed. This decision aims to keep travel costs steady for the public. The affected highways include major routes such as the Senai–Desaru Expressway (SDE), East Coast Expressway Phase 2 (LPT2), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Butterworth Outer Ring Road (LLB), and the KL–Putrajaya Expressway (MEX). Addressing Mohmed Puzi's original question, Alexander highlighted that motorists using these routes would experience considerable savings, especially when comparing current toll rates with what was originally outlined in the concession agreements. He pointed out that for Class 1 vehicles, toll increases were scheduled to rise between RM0.50 and RM4.56, which translates to hikes of 79% to 83%. 'For example, a Class 1 vehicle user travelling through the Putrajaya Toll Plaza on the MEX Highway for their daily commute would enjoy savings of RM6.80 per round trip. 'If these savings are calculated over 20 commuting days per month, or 240 days per year, the user would save around RM136 a month, or RM1,632 annually,' he said. —July 29, 2025 Main image: Utusan Malaysia
