Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin said the probe must be conducted by an independent body as this was a matter of great public interest, with the safety of the people at stake.
“Repairs alone are certainly not enough. An in-depth investigation is needed to determine why the side barriers have been dislocated,” he said in a statement here today.
“Heads must roll if it’s proven the issue is not an act of God. We should ensure the real culprits are identified and be held responsible for it, be it a design failure or construction negligence,” Chan said, adding that the probe must be conducted in an independent and transparent manner.
The Sabah DAP secretary said the flyover was part of the first phase of the road widening and upgrading work along the 21.6km-long Jalan Lintas, from the Tuaran by-pass to the airport.
He added that the construction cost was RM250 million and that it was completed and opened to the public at the end of 2017.
“There has yet to be a satisfactory answer from the authorities. This shows an utter lack of urgency in addressing this serious road safety issue,” he said.
Chan said this is despite his Sabah DAP colleague, Luyang assemblyman Phoong Jin Zhe, issuing two press statements urging deputy chief minister Bung Moktar Radin, who is also the state infrastructure development minister, and the Public Works Department (JKR) to take necessary action.
The JKR was quoted by the Borneo Post on Sunday as saying it had set up a committee to look into a fractured section of the flyover and formulate a permanent rectification with minimum disruption to the existing traffic flow.
The department added the problem was not as serious as claimed on social media.
JKR further explained that the section with the problem was the approach ramp where a reinforced earth wall was used.
“The flyover has no problems. Reasons (for the crack) are due to differential settlement of the ground which caused deformation of the walls.”
JKR acknowledged that this particular problem was “quite serious” and needed to be rectified but urged the public not to be concerned as the wall was designed to allow deformation.