Works minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said the video, originally posted by Trump’s special assistant and communication adviser Margo Martin and viewed by millions around the world, had drawn praise for the smoothness, cleanliness and beauty of the country’s road infrastructure, Bernama reported.
“That simple post, viewed by millions globally, reminded the world and ourselves that Malaysia has built something exceptional.
“It reminded us that our hard work, innovation and discipline in infrastructure development have not gone unnoticed internationally. But, more importantly, it serves as a motivation to do even better.
“We take pride in what we have achieved, but we must also have the courage to reimagine, reform and reinforce. Because maintenance is not merely about roads, it is about national dignity, safety and future readiness,” he said.
Nanta said this at the Malaysian Road Maintenance Convention 2025 and MY-Asean Roads & Traffic Tech Expo 2025 held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre here today.
He said Malaysia’s road network today extends over 260,000km, and the country can proudly say that they stand among the most well-maintained in the Asean region.
“This achievement is built on decades of commitment by the public works department (JKR), Malaysian Highway Authority and our highway concessionaires, guided by forward-thinking policies from the works ministry,” he said.
External auditing for highway concessionaires
Meanwhile, Nanta said the works ministry was planning to implement an external auditing system for highway concession companies early next year to ensure road maintenance works are carried out according to the highest standards.
Under the initiative, each company responsible for road maintenance will be periodically audited by external auditors, instead of relying solely on internal audits conducted by JKR or the concessionaires themselves.
“Early next year, many concession contracts will expire. The companies involved in road maintenance will be audited from time to time by external auditors.
“Even now, requests for new proposals have been made for certain areas.
“We are seeking external expertise to conduct these audits so that all the maintenance work completed is of the highest quality.”