KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — Roads built on government-owned land, particularly main roads, will not be sold or transferred to the private sector as they are strategic national assets, said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.
He explained that private sector involvement is limited to road management or maintenance through concession agreements, without affecting government ownership or the status of the road as a public thoroughfare.
He added that any closure, disposal, or change in the status of a public road is subject to gazettement and approval under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), the Roads, Drains and Buildings Act 1974 (Act 133), and the National Land Code 1965 (Act 828).
“This process involves scrutiny by the Public Works Department and local authorities, approval by state authorities, and the requirement to provide an equivalent or better alternative route if public access is affected,” he said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat.
Syed Ibrahim was responding to a question from P. Prabakaran (PH-Batu) on whether roads built on government-owned land could be sold or handed over to the private sector.
He emphasised that any proposed change to a public road route involving government land requires approval from state authorities and involves multiple layers of assessment, including verification of land status, technical evaluations by the Public Works Department and local councils on safety, capacity, and accessibility, and conditions requiring an equivalent or improved alternative route before implementation.
