I HAVE often lamented that maintenance and service have never been our forte although Malaysia is publicly known as a developing country with world-class infrastructure.

Over the years, we have spent billions on development but what is regrettable is the poor maintenance of these infrastructure and public amenities.

We build and provide the public various facilities but we are often found wanting when it comes to maintaining them.

A case in point is the frequent complaints about our road signs at our highways, whether federal, state, city or town roads. The road signs are often obstructed by branches and leaves of trees planted along the roads.

The problem arises because of poor maintenance by the local and other authorities that make no effort to prune the tree branches.

Trees are planted along roads to provide greenery and landscape. They can pose a major inconvenience to the motorists, especially those who are not familiar with the roads and if the road signs are obstructed from public view.

What is even more serious is that obstruction to such road signs can also affect road safety, resulting in accidents.

I would therefore suggest to all local and other relevant authorities to undertake proper maintenance of our public amenities by ensuring that our road signs are free from any form of obstruction.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008