KOTA KINABALU: Warisan on Friday demonstrated BioAsphalt, a cold-mix asphalt technology from the United States, as an immediate solution to Sabah’s growing pothole problem.
The demonstration comes after several fatal accidents linked to damaged roads. In January 2024, a child died in Kinabatangan in a five-car crash caused by potholes.
Days earlier, a lorry driver in Kampung Sentosa Jaya also died trying to avoid a pothole. In February 2025, a delivery rider lost his life on the Lido flyover after hitting a pothole.
Former State Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya had said over half of Sabah’s roads have exceeded their 20-year design life, with more than 73,000 potholes recorded between 2023 and 2024, nearly 70 per cent of the national total.
Warisan President Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the party studied cost-effective solutions for six months and found BioAsphalt could deliver quick relief without expensive machinery.
At Golden Plaza, Shafie demonstrated how the mix is activated with water and applied with basic tools. The pothole was ready for traffic within minutes.
“Potholes in Sabah have become a life-and-death issue. BioAsphalt is a solution Sabah can use immediately,” Shafie said.
BioAsphalt can be produced locally using palm biomass and organic waste, reducing reliance on imported materials. It requires no heating or solvents, produces no odour, and comes in 20kg bags, making deployment across the State fast and easy.
The technology is supported by multi-year research with the National Centre for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) in Auburn.
Deputy President Datuk Darell Leiking and Vice President Terrence Siambun attended the demonstration.
Shafie said full implementation and cost plans would be presented when Warisan forms the government.
“Leadership is about offering workable solutions that improve people’s lives today. Sabah deserves solutions, not slogans,” he said.
