Pothole vigilante takes matters into own hands

KLANG: Fed up with constantly having to navigate his vehicle around potholes in his neighbourhood, a Klang resident decided to take matters into his own hands recently.

Social activist Mikhael Iskhandhaar hired some workers and set about to patch 10 potholes along Jalan Hulubalang in Taman Sentosa, which garnered him social media attention.

Not only that, he also painted the words “Duit Saya” (My Money) on the largest tarred patch that covered one of the big potholes.

His main purpose in carrying out the “patch job”, said Mikhael when contacted, was also to shame the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) into doing what it is supposed to do – maintain Klang properly.

Mikhael, 46, said his intention was also to show that the material and methods used by the MPK-appointed contractors were not of good quality.

“That is why the potholes keep reappearing soon after repair. It is important for potholes to be properly patched up for them to last longer,” he added.

According to Mikhael, it only cost him RM1,300 to patch up the 10 potholes with newly-blended tar with a high glue content as well as using a compactor machine.

“It is very affordable and I do not see why good quality material and sufficient compacting cannot be used to ensure the patching lasts longer,” he said.

Mikhael added he chose that particular stretch of road because it fronted a primary school and he did not want anything untoward to happen in the event a vehicle went out of control because of the potholes.

“Recently the front tyre of my friend’s motorbike got stuck in one of the potholes there,” he said.

Mikhael said he wants to launch a similar exercise throughout Klang to pressure MPK into doing its job of maintaining the roads properly.

“I urge all Klang residents who feel strongly about this to contact me so that we can do the same in other pothole-riddled road stretches in Klang,” he added.

Mikhael also said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts to reform the nation would be pointless if public servants were inefficient in serving the people.

“Public servants have to buck up and cannot be old-fashioned in their thinking anymore.

“So please contact me at admin@jingga13global.com if you want to help me in my efforts to ‘reform’ Klang,” said Mikhael, who is a coordinator with reformist non-governmental organisation Jingga 13 Malaysia.

He urged Klang residents to lodge more complaints regarding sub-standard public amenities to jolt the local council into doing the necessary.

Meanwhile, Sentosa assemblyman Gunaraj George said in a statement that MPK had been informed much earlier to patch up the potholes by the councillor in charge of the area.

“But there was no follow-up after the councillor’s tenure ended,” he said, adding that the tenures of the newly appointed councillors will commence on Jan 15.

Gunaraj said the stretch of road was damaged due to heavy rains as well as heavy vehicles that used the road daily.