Damaged Roads: Prompt Action Needed To Prevent Accidents - Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has urged the Public Works Department (JKR) and relevant agencies to be more proactive in addressing the issue of damaged roads, which continue to inconvenience the people of Sabah.

He stressed that JKR and other responsible parties must not simply wait for accidents, complaints, or directives before taking corrective action.

Referring to a recent fatal accident in Kota Kinabalu, where a motorcyclist lost his life after hitting a pothole, Hajiji expressed deep concern over such tragedies.

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“Life and death are beyond our control, but JKR must take full responsibility for ensuring road users' safety. Regular and thorough inspections must be conducted, on a scheduled basis, to identify and repair hazardous roads across the state.

“Do not wait for accidents before taking action. In today’s digital age, even a minor oversight can have serious consequences. It is the government and the chief minister, not the ministry or department, that will face the criticism,” he said while delivering the New Year's mandate for civil servants, here, today.

Also present were Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam; State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong and Sabah Federal Secretary Datuk Seri Rosli Isa.

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On Feb 3, a motorcyclist, in his 30s, lost his life after his motorcycle skidded, believed to have hit a pothole on a damaged road near the Lido flyover, Jalan Lintas in Kota Kinabalu.

Hajiji also raised concerns over the state’s water supply management, highlighting that Sabah is experiencing 60 per cent non-revenue water (NRW), largely due to inefficient management and rampant water theft in squatter areas.

While acknowledging that the water supply issue is a long-standing problem, inherited from the previous administration, he stressed that responsible agencies, particularly the Sabah Water Department (JANS), must not adopt a complacent attitude, but instead take proactive measures to address the matter.

“Sixty per cent of our clean water is being stolen, which is no small amount. More than half of our clean water is lost. It is JANS' responsibility to identify the root cause of this issue. I understand that NRW has been reduced by identifying and cutting off illegal connections in squatter areas.

“But my concern is, what guarantees do we have that these illegal squatters will not reconnect the water supply, once again disrupting access for our people? This needs to be thoroughly addressed,” he said.

He also urged relevant authorities to act swiftly in clarifying the root causes of the state’s water supply issues to the public.

-- BERNAMA