RMK13 Prioritises Pan Borneo and Major Highway Projects

The 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) highway development agenda is a national public infrastructure framework executed by the Ministry of Works (Kementerian Kerja Raya) covering the 2026 to 2030 implementation period. It prioritises completing four critical arterial road networks across Peninsular and East Malaysia: the Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah and Sarawak, the Sarawak–Sabah Link Road (SSLR), the Kota Bharu–Kuala Krai Highway (KBKK), and the Central Spine Road (Lingkaran Tengah Utama or LTU). This policy resolves longstanding connectivity deficits between high-density economic corridors and underserved regions for domestic motorists, freight logistics providers, and regional commuters.

Key Facts

Which Four Highway Projects Are Prioritised Under RMK13?

Under the 13th Malaysia Plan running from 2026 to 2030, the Malaysian Government prioritises completing four major road projects: the Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah and Sarawak, the Sarawak–Sabah Link Road (SSLR), the Kota Bharu–Kuala Krai Highway (KBKK), and the Lingkaran Tengah Utama (LTU).

Works Minister Dato' Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi announced these priorities during the opening of the 13th Malaysian Road Conference (MRC 2026) and the 6th Asia Australasia Road Congress at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur on 13 October 2026. The official ministerial presentation set the completion of these routes as the primary road development baseline for the five-year plan. However, the ministerial briefing explicitly did not disclose project-specific completion dates, financial allocations in Ringgit Malaysia (RM), or current progress percentages for each individual highway.

"Empat projek utama diberi keutamaan... Lebuhraya Pan Borneo di Sabah dan Sarawak, Sarawak–Sabah Link Road (SSLR), Lebuhraya Kota Bharu–Kuala Krai (KBKK), Lebuhraya Lingkaran Tengah Utama (LTU)."

Dato' Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Minister of Works (13 October 2026)

Under the 13th Malaysia Plan (2026–2030), the Ministry of Works designates the Pan Borneo Highway, SSLR, KBKK, and LTU as the nation's top road construction completion priorities.

How Does RMK13 Address Climate Risks and Road Maintenance?

RMK13 mandates that Malaysian road infrastructure must incorporate resilient, smart, sustainable, and integrated features to counter structural climate risks. Planning policies address rising populations, higher traffic volumes, aging road assets, operational cost inflation, and weather threats such as flash floods, landslides, heatwaves, and extreme tropical conditions.

Addressing delegates at MRC 2026, Works Minister Dato' Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi highlighted that the Ministry of Works must prolong road asset lifespans while mitigating weather disruptions common to Malaysia's tropical climate. Heavy rainfall, slope failures, and extreme thermal conditions require advanced engineering adaptations across federal networks. Highway planning also encompasses high-traffic Federal Roads, border access routes, and transport interconnections servicing industrial estates, logistics hubs, maritime ports, and airports nationwide.

Malaysia's RMK13 road blueprint requires future highway designs to be climate-resilient against tropical landslides, severe floods, and heatwaves while optimising lifecycle maintenance costs.

Which Strategic Frameworks Govern Malaysia's 2026–2030 Road Development?

Malaysia's highway infrastructure agenda under RMK13 is governed by three policy frameworks: the National Construction Policy 2030 (NCP 2030), the Malaysian Intelligent Transport Systems Roadmap 2030 (Malaysian ITS Roadmap 2030), and the Construction Action Plan 2026–2030 (CAP30).

According to the speech delivered by Works Minister Dato' Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, these three aligned frameworks establish mandatory targets across Malaysia's civil engineering sector. Their collective execution drives higher productivity standards, rigorous worker safety regulations, enhanced construction quality metrics, digital technology deployment, and greener building practices across all transport corridors connecting domestic economic zones.

The execution of road infrastructure throughout RMK13 is formally guided by NCP 2030, the Malaysian ITS Roadmap 2030, and the Construction Action Plan 2026–2030.

How It Compares for Malaysian Users

The prioritised road networks under RMK13 serve motorists and transport operators navigating regional travel across the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, rural Kelantan, Sabah, and Sarawak. In Peninsular Malaysia, the completed LTU and KBKK bypass flood-prone, single-lane federal alignments, offering stable overland alternatives for logistics operators and interstate commuters during peak festive periods. In East Malaysia, the Pan Borneo Highway and SSLR eliminate regional transit bottlenecks between rural communities, ports, and border crossings, improving overland transport resilience against equatorial downpours and rugged terrain.

Motorists and commercial logistics operators across Sabah, Sarawak, and the East Coast corridor gain improved route reliability and climate resistance through completed RMK13 highway links.

Common Questions

Has the Ministry of Works Announced the Completion Dates and Costs for KBKK and LTU?

No. The presentation delivered by Works Minister Dato' Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi on 13 October 2026 stated that while completing KBKK and LTU is an RMK13 priority, specific completion timelines, current construction progress, and individual expenditure allocations were not detailed.

What East Malaysian Road Networks Are Prioritised Under RMK13?

The 13th Malaysia Plan prioritises completing two major East Malaysian road projects: the Pan Borneo Highway across Sabah and Sarawak, and the Sarawak–Sabah Link Road (SSLR), connecting interior settlements and critical regional economic corridors.

Which Policy Drives Digital Technology and Intelligent Systems on Malaysian Roads?

Digital and smart highway enhancements are directed by the Malaysian ITS Roadmap 2030, alongside the National Construction Policy 2030 (NCP 2030) and the Construction Action Plan 2026–2030 (CAP30), which mandate smart technology adoption and green construction standards.

Sources and Methodology

This article is synthesised from the official domestic news report published by Careta ("RMK13 Utamakan Usaha Menyiapkan Pan Borneo, SSLR, KBKK Dan LTU" by Qalif Latif, 13 October 2026), reporting on the ministerial address by Works Minister Dato' Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi at the 13th Malaysian Road Conference (MRC 2026) and 6th Asia Australasia Road Congress at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur. Non-English source statements were translated into British English while preserving statutory Malaysian project names and government framework titles. No unlisted figures or speculative costs were extrapolated. This article was last updated on 13 October 2026. Information specific to Malaysia was verified against Careta.my reporting.