Works minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said the concessionaire was instructed to temporarily patch the affected area within three hours on the day of the incident and to conduct permanent repairs within 24 hours.

“In addition, patrols along the road and other routes will be increased, with any potholes identified to be repaired within 24 hours.

“Signs alerting road users to the damaged sections that pose safety risks will also be installed at affected locations,” he said in a statement today.

It was reported that two siblings, aged 17 and 16, were killed on their way to school when their motorcycle hit a pothole on Jalan Sengkang-Felda Inas-Bandar Tenggara.

Nanta said he felt great sympathy for their family, and that he had repeatedly emphasised that maintenance work must be given serious attention as it involved human lives.

However, he said, pointing fingers would not solve anything as the priority should be to ensure immediate action is taken.

“Therefore, I have instructed all those involved to provide me with a complete and detailed report. I have also issued stern warnings many times before,” he said.

Nanta explained that under the asset maintenance policy, the public works department (JKR), through its client charter, requires the appointed federal road concessionaire to conduct temporary repairs within one day and permanent repairs within three days in the event of road damage.

However, he said that for large-scale repair work, an allocation application must be submitted in advance, and the work could be carried out annually and in phases.

Nanta said that repairs would take between a month and a year, depending on the nature of the work, its complexity, and the approval of the required allocation.

He said that for maintenance work, JKR, along with the appointed concessionaires, conducts annual inspections of the entire federal road network in Malaysia.

“The results of this inspection will then be submitted to the government through JKR for approval. Once the government approves the allocation, the department will instruct the appointed concessionaires to carry out the necessary road repairs, such as overlays or mill-and-pave work,” he said.

“These works can be carried out within three weeks to three months after the allocation is received, depending on the availability of the concessionaire, work planning, and coordination with the agencies involved at the repair location,” he said.