Works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has urged industry players to adopt AI and digital technology to improve the efficiency of road maintenance and avoid excessive spending, Bernama reports.
“We need to be more innovative and resourceful in using digital technology, AI and other tools. This can help us reduce the amount of funding required while improving efficiency in road construction and maintenance,” he said recently.
Investing to improve road infrastructure is not just physical spending but saves lives, Nanta said, adding that according to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), 18 people die in road accidents in Malaysia every day on average.
Priority must be given to the quality of road maintenance, as much of the country’s road infrastructure has aged and can no longer cope with today’s heavy traffic, he said.
The works minister added that the move supports the cabinet committee on road safety and congestion chaired by deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, which aims to halve Malaysia’s road deaths by 2030.
Nanta revealed in May 2025 that Malaysia was one of the countries using AI in road and infrastructure management. “Through smart monitoring technologies like drones, sensors and the internet of things (IoT), we can detect road damage in real time. AI helps us analyse this data to identify locations that need immediate attention and to predict potential future damage,” he said then.
