AT A time when road safety is in the public eye, the Department of Public Works (JKR) has been cast under the spotlight for perceived shoddy work.
Underlining this precise problem is a short video clip of an unidentified stretch of road with a very badly patched up portion, hence causing cars to suddenly dip due to uneven height of the tarmac.
The post on X by MYNEWSHUB (@mynewshub) wondered how JKR carries out its duties. How could it patch up the road in such a manner, it queried incredulously?
Ni kualiti kerja JKR ke orang lain? Apa jadah tampal jalan camtu … pic.twitter.com/cyFgjwsrjv
— MYNEWSHUB (@mynewshub) June 12, 2025
That the post has garnered 415.2K views at the time of writing is testament that many road users could not hide their irritation at the substandard work being done on public thoroughfares.
And, lest it be forgotten, such “professional” work is carried out at the taxpayers’ expense.
Needless to say, this blatant disregard for road user comfort, convenience and safety brought out netizens in force.
Without identifying the actual stretch of road, one commenter described feeling like a rally driver when the vehicle passing through the stretch would be sent flying through the air due to the sudden dip in terrain.
He further surmised that there could have been several accidents at this spot just that none have been fatal – yet.
More than a few blamed the chain of sub-contractors who charged for services but end up delivering such substandard work.
But ultimately, the blame fell with JKR for not inspecting steps to ensure the repair work was done properly. JKR was full of “lazy types” who did not do the necessary checks, exclaimed one commenter.
One commenter contended that this cycle of bad repair jobs was the result of corruption from top to bottom – “suffice so long as the quality is so-so and the job continues to flow”.
One netizen cheekily asked if the patch-up shown on the video is designed to curb speedsters or simply to destroy passing vehicles. Such was the undulation that cars travelling at speed (or not slowing down) could sustain damage.
It must be noted that if indeed motorists suffer damage to their vehicles due to shoddy road works, they can actually claim from JKR (or the relevant highway concessionaire).
In Malaysia, motorists can claim compensation for vehicle damage caused by road defects such as potholes from the relevant authority responsible for road maintenance.
This typically involves gathering evidence, filing a police report and submitting a claim to the local council, JKR or highway concessionaire.
Perhaps, the best way to demand a higher standard of public works is to flood the department – not just with complaints – but with claims for damages.
Complaints – even when accompanied by video evidence – can always be ignored. Claims, especially those made through insurance companies, are harder to sweep under the carpet.
FocusM believes it is time for Malaysian road users to exercise their rights. – June 17, 2025
