Malaysians travelling along dark roads at night have been told to rely on their vehicle headlights, as installing street lights across every road in the country would require a huge amount of funding.
Dark roads raised in Dewan Negara
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan made the remarks in the Dewan Negara on Monday (July 27) while responding to a question from Senator Datuk Rosni Sohar.
Rosni had raised concerns over roads that remain poorly lit, particularly along the Federal Highway.
She also highlighted how certain stretches become waterlogged during heavy rain, creating dangerous conditions for road users, especially motorcyclists.
‘If it’s dark, turn on the lights’
In response, Ahmad said it was not financially possible for the government to install street lights along every road in Malaysia.
If it’s dark, turn on the motorcycle lights, car lights and vehicle lights,” he said.
He explained that cars, motorcycles and other vehicles were already fitted with lights for motorists to use when travelling in dark conditions.
Ahmad added that lighting up every road in the country would require an extremely large allocation, which the government currently does not have.
He also linked the funding constraints to the removal of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), arguing that the government previously had an additional source of revenue.
Previously, we had GST. Now GST has been removed, so there are many things that cannot be done,” he said.
Street lights fall under different authorities
Ahmad clarified that responsibility for street lighting does not fall entirely under the Works Ministry.
Depending on the location, street lights may come under district councils, municipal councils or the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.
He also said that RM200 million had previously been approved for a street lighting programme covering 20,000 villages, adding that he hoped similar efforts would continue.
Lights installed at selected high risk locations
In a separate parliamentary response on July 14, Ahmad said the Works Ministry focuses on installing street lights at locations with a history or risk of accidents, including intersections, sharp bends and bridges.
From 2023 to 2025, street lights were installed at 75 selected locations along federal roads in Perak at a total cost of RM7.85 million.
The ministry also uses reflective road markings, signs, road studs and delineator posts to help motorists see road boundaries and hazards in areas without street lighting.
