Malaysia must plan and fund infrastructure maintenance from day one, with experts saying the true measure of development is how well facilities are cared for.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia must stop treating infrastructure as finished when the ribbon is cut, with maintenance planned and funded from the moment a project is conceived, an expert said.
Universiti Malaya senior lecturer Dr Fong Chng Saun said the true measure of development should not be how much the country builds, but how well it cares for what it has built.
“Maintenance should be designed and funded from day one,” he said, stressing that every public facility needs a clear maintenance standard, responsible agency, operating budget, inspection schedule and user reporting mechanism.
“What we build demonstrates capacity as a country. How we care for it demonstrates maturity.”
Fong said the condition of everyday public spaces – from public toilets and walkways to parks, street lighting and pedestrian crossings – remains the most tangible measure of how developed a country really is.
“A person may live in a city with modern rail systems and skyscrapers, but if they cannot walk safely to a bus stop, find a clean toilet or use a park comfortably, there is still a gap between national progress and lived experience,” he said.
For Fong, that gap touches the core of what Merdeka should mean.
“Merdeka should translate into the freedom to move around our communities safely, comfortably and with dignity,” he said, noting that poorly maintained facilities disproportionately affect children, older people, persons with disabilities and those reliant on walking or public transport.
Fong added that Malaysia’s maintenance problem stems from an interaction between planning, governance, financing and civic culture, rather than just public attitudes.
Furthermore, responsibilities are often fragmented among multiple agencies.
“To citizens, it is one public environment. They simply expect the space to function,” he said, adding that civic behaviour is strongly influenced by clean, well-maintained environments with visible accountability.
Fong said local authorities should be assessed by the reliability, cleanliness and accessibility of existing facilities, rather than the number of new projects completed.
“A developed Malaysia should not only be impressive from its skyline. It should also feel developed when a citizen walks down the street, takes public transport or uses a public toilet.
“That is a meaningful expression of Merdeka.”
The Sun Malaysia
