KUCHING: There should be an increase in the Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS) funds which are important to the local councils, opined Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang.
The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman said that there is no significant increase with currently only 22,700 per kilometres of roads registered for maintenance under the MARRIS funds.
“To give you an idea of what RM27,500 per kilometres of road for maintenance is, to tar seal it would be four inch thick premix over one kilometre of road costing RM500,000.
“So, you can understand why RM27,500 per kilometre, you can’t do much,” he said.
He was speaking to the reporters at the JCI Damai 25th Installation and Award Ceremony at TAKA Patisserie CityOne yesterday (Feb 26).
On Friday when tabling the Budget 2023, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the MARRIS grant has been increased to RM5.2 billion.
The federal government has given flexibility including the use of MARRIS to repair and replace damaged roads, bridges and drains due to disasters.
Lo revealed around 1,700 kilometres of roads need to be maintained by the MPP.
