Perak govt has sent application to fed govt for upgrading of Gerik-Jeli East-West Highway last year - Saarani

IPOH, March 21 (Bernama) --The Perak government has sent an application to the federal government last year to upgrade the Gerik-Jeli East-West Highway (JRTB), said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.

He said the application was made after several studies and monitoring by the Public Works Department and the Gerik District Council to identify the damage to the highway.

Saarani said he also went to survey the damage at several locations along the highway with the he Minister of Public Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

"We (the state government) not only sent a letter, but also went to see the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) to inform him about the condition of the highway before the tabling of Budget 2023 in the Dewan Rakyat.

"So, the statement by Deputy Minister of Public Works (Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad) in Parliament recently that no application was made by the Perak government to upgrade the highway is not true," he told reporters after opening the Perak Darul Ridzuan Local Government Colloquium (KKT Perak) 2023 at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building here today.

Abdul Rahman made the statement last Feb 28 in response to an oral question from Gerik MP Fathul Huzir Ayob on efforts by the government to upgrade or rebuild the East-West Highway that connects the states on the East Coast and the West Coast due to the frequent occurrence of fatal accidents in the area.

-- BERNAMA