Reiterates: No Sale or Transfer of Public Roads on Government Land to Private Entities

The Malaysian government has reaffirmed that public roads built on government land will not be sold or transferred to private institutions, especially major arterial roads that are regarded as national strategic assets and assume key traffic functions.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainability, Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, stated that private sector participation is limited to undertaking road management or maintenance work through concession agreements. Such arrangements will not affect the government’s ownership of the land nor alter the public nature of the roads.

He emphasized that any proposal involving road closure, disposal of road land, or change in road nature must comply with the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, the Roads, Drainage and Buildings Act 1974, and the National Land Code 1965, and must complete the gazette notification process and obtain approval from the relevant authorities in accordance with the law.

Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh explained that the process includes review by the Ministry of Works and local governments, followed by approval from the relevant state government authorities. If public access is involved, an equivalent or better alternative route must be provided.

He further stressed that any realignment or adjustment of public roads involving government land must be approved by the relevant state government authorities, covering land management, gazette notification, disposal procedures, as well as road reserves under the National Land Code 1965.

The Deputy Minister added that the government will conduct multi-layered assessments before making a decision, including verifying the land status, and technical reviews by the Ministry of Works and local governments in terms of road safety, traffic capacity and accessibility. Relevant applications will only be approved after the relevant state government authorities confirm that all conditions have been met and an equivalent or better alternative traffic plan has been implemented.