KUALA LUMPUR: Tuaran Member of Parliament, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, has reminded the government that efforts to tighten road enforcement must be accompanied by the swift construction and maintenance of road infrastructure in Sabah and Sarawak.
He stated that in Sabah, there are still narrow, damaged, and pothole-ridden roads that lack adequate street lighting and essential safety features.
“What is the point of increasing fines from RM300 to RM500 if the public still has to use unsafe roads?
“What is the purpose of expanding enforcement powers if the condition of the roads themselves contributes to accident risks?” he said.
Madius, who is also the Honorary President of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), made these remarks while debating the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026 in Parliament, here on Tuesday.
He also raised the issue of severe traffic congestion caused by prolonged construction and upgrading projects that remain unresolved, particularly along the Kota Kinabalu-Tuaran, Tuaran-Tamparuli, Tamparuli-Ranau routes, and several sections of the Pan Borneo highway.
“The people of Sabah have been facing extraordinary congestion for years due to delayed or unfinished projects, with narrowed lanes, unsafe temporary diversions, uneven road surfaces, and hours of traffic jams leading to stress, fatigue, and loss of focus for drivers.
“If citizens can be fined for violating traffic regulations, then contractors and parties who fail to complete projects on schedule, thereby jeopardizing road user safety, should also be held accountable,” he asserted.
The Tamparuli Assemblyman also questioned whether the government has ever studied the relationship between project delays and infrastructure safety.
