Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun wants stricter enforcement of vehicle load limits to protect Sabah’s deteriorating road infrastructure, pointing out that overloaded timber and palm oil lorries are destroying Sabah’s roads faster than they can be repaired.
He acknowledged the frustration on the ground, pointing out that road damage in Sabah stemmed from several overlapping problems, including extreme topography, unstable soil conditions and weak enforcement of vehicle load limits.
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“Are we allowing overloaded lorries to pass? Are we ensuring all road users comply with regulations so there is a certain weight limit for lorries that can use the roads?
This is also something we need to ask,” he told a media conference after the International Construction Week (ICW) Borneo 2026 launching ceremony at Sheraton Kota Kinabalu, Tuesday.
Masidi cited the Kalabakan-Sapulut road, saying it suffered damage within years of completion due to daily use by overloaded palm oil lorries.
He said this in response to a question on whether anything would truly change since people on the ground still likened Sabah’s roads to the surface of the moon despite billions being allocated for Sabah’s roads.
“It is not an apple-to-apple comparison. Just look at the topography,” he said, dismissing comparisons between Sabah’s roads and those in the Peninsula.
“Sabah’s mountainous terrain make construction and maintenance inherently more costly and complex. Take for example the Tambunan-Ranau road, it is one of the most expensive to maintain in Malaysia because of its demanding topography.
“Even if the best road builders from America or Russia constructed the road, it would still not be able to withstand overloaded lorries. That is a reality we need to take into account,” he said.
Masidi, who is also State Finance Minister, said both the public and enforcement agencies shared responsibility in protecting road infrastructure and that collective compliance with load regulations was essential to extending the lifespan of Sabah’s roads.
“I am not trying to make excuses. What is wrong is still wrong. We solve the existing problems. But at the same time, we must also accept that we need cooperation from the public and from enforcement agencies to ensure we comply with the law and regulations,” he said.
Masidi said Sabah can adopt tunnel construction methods pioneered by a Sarawak company to overcome its difficult terrain and lift road quality standards.
“The experience gained in Sarawak in building through tunnels, though expensive, is something we can emulate and apply in Sabah,” he said.
“It is high time for us to go for quality and not just quantity,” he said Masidi.
Masidi said he was impressed by an exhibition at the event showcasing the work of a Sarawak company building the Sabah-Sarawak Link Road, which avoids Brunei.
The project includes a 2km tunnel, which he said is a significant achievement.
He said the terrain in the Sarawak construction zone closely resembled Sabah’s landscape, making the experience directly relevant to the State.
Sabah’s Crocker Range soil, he noted, lacked structural stability, making construction particularly demanding.
“When you disturb Crocker soil, it will collapse. It is going to be very challenging,” he said, adding that tunnel construction, while costly, may offer a workable solution to the State’s persistent road challenges.
On the programme at hand, Masidi said the ICW, hosted by the Construction Industry Development Board and the Ministry of Works Malaysia, gave local contractors a valuable platform to raise their standards.
He called on local contractors to absorb lessons from the event’s exhibition and talks.
“Quality must not be sacrificed for cost because poorly built roads will only force governments to spend more money repairing work that should have been done properly from the start. No corner-cutting. That is what we want to avoid,” he said.
Masidi said Sabah is in a phase of rapid development, pointing out that growth must be matched by high construction standards and the use of materials that meet approved quality specifications.
He also expressed gratitude to Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi for his continued support of Sabah, saying the State still had much to learn and improve in the construction sector.
“There is a lot to learn and a lot of opportunities for us to improve ourselves. There is no limit to learning and we are willing to learn,” he said.
Building Information Modelling was among the technologies highlighted at the event as a tool to improve construction planning and outcomes for road projects in Sabah, including Federal roads and the Pan Borneo Highway.
