Jalan Van Praagh, near SJK (C) Kheng Tean in the Batu Lanchang constituency is a road that has been resurfaced. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
WITH nomination just days away, election fever is heating up and motorists are expecting better roads ahead.
There is a commonly held view that when elections are near, roads get resurfaced.
According to the Social Science Research Network, an analysis of 150,000 rural roads in India demonstrated an increase in roadwork activity before elections.
It showed there was a tendency for new roads to be built ahead of scheduled construction times during polling seasons.
A check by StarMetro showed several main roads in Penang, such as Jalan Van Praagh and Jalan Burma, had been recently resurfaced or patched up.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk A. Rajendran, however, refuted the assumption linking road repairs to elections.
“Road resurfacing is done annually by the council and is scheduled every year,” he said.
Rajendran said that as of July 20, 38 roads had been patched or resurfaced with fresh layers of asphalt this year.
He said for 2023, RM8mil had been allocated by MBPP to resurface roads.
The Election Commission has fixed Aug 12 for simultaneous elections in Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Nomination Day is on July 29 and early voting will be conducted on Aug 8.
