THE State Works and Utility Ministry will conduct engineering investigations into slope safety along State roads, with implementation expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026.
“We will collect data and prepare slope hazard and risk maps, which will allow the Government to identify high-risk areas more systematically, accurately and based on data,” Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said in his Ministry’s winding up speech.
He said continuous slope monitoring programmes, including the installation of geotechnical instruments and early warning systems, would be rolled out at high-risk locations, alongside site investigation work, to produce effective retention structure designs at critical locations.
“All three initiatives have been approved under the 13th Malaysia Plan, with 19 Early Warning System locations already installed along federal roads in Sabah,” he said.
On bridge works, Dr Joachim said the replacement of Keliangau Bridge in Manggatal had been listed under the State Government-funded bridge upgrading programme, while the Kitobu, Damai and Mensiang bridges in Inanam would be listed under Federal Government programmes through the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.
“Two bridges in Inanam had been approved for upgrading under the 12th and 13th Malaysia Plans, with one project at LLC Km 0.8, Jalan Kionsom Lama, currently under implementation and a second at LLC Km 0.53, Jalan Kionsom Lama, at the procurement stage,” he said.
On the long-delayed Elopura bridge project, he said the contract for the replacement of the Km 295.56 bridge along the Jalan Tamparuli-Sandakan was terminated on Oct 1, 2025, after the contractor failed to carry out work on site and halted operations.
“Physical progress at termination stood at only 12.73 per cent actual against a scheduled 61.63 per cent,” he said, pointing out that the project began in April 2022 with an original completion date of April 2024.
“Re-tender documentation are being prepared, with JKR Malaysia also seeking approval for a project ceiling increase from the Ministry of Economy,” he said, adding that completion was expected to take two years once a new contractor is appointed.
On road maintenance in Tawau, Dr Joachim said plans were in place to resurface the road leading to Institut Pendidikan Guru and the UiTM Tawau Campus.
“We do have a proposal to resurface this road at an estimated cost of RM600,000, subject to priorities,” he said.
On Jalan Tiku leading to Kongsi 10 Kinabutan, he said RM700,000 had been allocated in 2025 for repairs, though the actual requirement amounted to RM1.4 million.
Regarding street lighting along the Pan Borneo Highway, Dr Joachim said its original design placed lights only at critical locations.
“The provision of street lights in the original design of the Pan Borneo Highway is targeted and focused on critical locations such as major intersections, U-turns and bridges exceeding 100 metres in length,” he said.
He said this is in line with technical standards and safety requirements and takes into account the long-term operational and maintenance cost implications for the
Government.
“Road furniture, including road studs, reflective markings and guardrails, had been provided as alternative safety measures,” he said, adding that for this year, street light repair and reactivation works will cover the stretch from Batu 4 to Tawau Airport and the Balung area.
On road upgrading requests from several assemblymen, he said roads in the Sook constituency, including Jalan Rimbayan Ansip, Jalan Malima Johan Jaya, Jalan Bunang Ulu and Jalan Tinagalan, had been proposed under the 13th Malaysia Plan but had yet to be considered due to current priorities.
He said similar proposals for Nabawan would be resubmitted in future development plans.
“Agricultural roads and former logging roads raised by Nabawan fell under the Sabah Forestry Department’s jurisdiction, with JKR Sabah currently in the coordination phase for implementation of Section 14 of the Forest Enactment 1968,” he said.
For Paginatan, Dr Joachim said roads in Kampung Tiang Lama, Bayag, Togoyog and Kitai are under Ranau District Office supervision, with any JKR Sabah takeover subject to technical and land status requirements.
On the Karamunting constituency’s Jalan Cecily, he said street light installation along state roads was not under JKR Sabah’s jurisdiction.
However, he said, the Ministry can assist on a smaller scale before handing lights back to the local authority, with priority given to junctions and high-risk locations.
“Street lights raised by Luyang similarly did not fall under the Ministry’s jurisdiction, as those along state and municipal roads were under local authority supervision while federal road lights were fully funded through federal allocation,” he said.
