By Professor Marimuthu Nadason

I asked the officers in my organisation who they contacted to complain about road conditions along the Federal Highway near Seri Setia (at the former Motorola exit heading towards Klang). Agencies such as Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Road Transport Department (JKR) were mentioned. As far as I can remember, (more than a decade now) that stretch of road is reduced from a three-lane highway to that of just one lane because of the incidence of floods during a downpour.

Another area where flooding frequently occurs is the exit before the Sungai Rasau toll plaza (towards Klang). The motorcycle lanes and a large area of the main road leading to the toll booths are constantly inundated during a downpour. Motorcyclists dangerously manoeuvre through these areas and more often than not, end-up riding on the main road.

To my knowledge, this problem has not been addressed in the past decade or more. As this area is directly in front of the toll booth, toll operators need not wait for a formal complaint before acting to rectify the problem, yet until today the problem still exists.

Based on the complaints received by the National Consumers Complaints Centre (NCCC), the average consumer in Malaysia complains about public transport, roads and cars in addition to housing, banking, healthcare, food safety and educational services. Collectively complaints in these areas cost consumers close to one hundred million ringgit in potential losses. Many of these complaints also contribute to loss of man hours as complainants give limited attention to their work when complaints involving big ticket items cause undue stress in their lives.

Travelling time almost doubles when roads are inundated with flood waters during a downpour, adding to the loss of valuable time for Malaysians. Excuses such as poor maintenance are UNACCEPTABLE because as normal citizens, all forms of taxes have been paid: road tax, toll, quit rent and assessment etc.

Driving our own cars is still a primary option when travelling to work (if we can afford a car). While public transport such as the MRT and LRT is making inroads to increase connectivity, the ‘last mile’ solution is still distant. Until such time this is solved, we hope the authorities do not take another decade or more to solve the occurrence of flash floods not only along main roads but everywhere.

As the president of the Malaysian Association of Standards Users, I believe a consumer’s best protection is self-protection. In order to do that, collective action is key to get business and local authorities to respond promptly to our dissatisfactions until we are satisfied.

Thus, I urge us – the consumers – to flood instead local authorities and highway operators with complaints (directly or through the NCCC) if you are unhappy with their services and road conditions.

Prof Marimuthu Nadason is President of the Malaysian Association of Standards Users.

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