Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh clarifies that main roads on government land are strategic assets and cannot be sold or transferred to private entities.
KUALA LUMPUR: Roads constructed on government-owned land, especially main roads, are strategic national assets and cannot be sold or transferred to the private sector.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (pix) stated that private sector involvement is strictly limited to management or maintenance via concession agreements.
He emphasised that this involvement does not affect government ownership or a road’s status as a public thoroughfare.
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He was responding to a question in the Dewan Rakyat from P. Prabakaran (PH-Batu) regarding the potential sale or handover of such roads.
Syed Ibrahim detailed that any closure, disposal, or status change of a public road is subject to strict legal processes.
This includes gazettement and approval under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, the Roads, Drains and Buildings Act 1974, and the National Land Code 1965.
The process involves scrutiny by the Public Works Department and local authorities, followed by approval from state authorities.
A key requirement is providing an equivalent or better alternative route if public access is affected.
He added that any proposed change to a public road route on government land also requires state authority approval.
This approval pertains specifically to land management, gazettement, and disposal under the National Land Code.
The government employs a multi-layered assessment for any such proposals.
This includes verifying land status and conducting technical evaluations by the Public Works Department and local councils.
These evaluations assess safety, capacity, and accessibility impacts.
State authorities also impose conditions, including the provision of an equivalent or improved alternative route, before any changes are implemented.
 The Sun Malaysia
