M'sian deputy minister says govt can't install streetlights everywhere, tells drivers to turn on their lights when dark

A Malaysian minister has laid out his solution for the problem of poorly lit roads: Just turn on your lights.

The country's Deputy Works Minister Ahmad Maslan made the remarks in parliament on Jul. 27, in response to a question about how certain roads, especially along the Federal Highway, pose a danger to motorists for being too dimly lit.

It was also raised that certain stretches of roads become waterlogged during heavy rains.

Ahmad argued that it was not financially possible for the Malaysian government to install street lights along every road in Malaysia. 

Doing so would require a very large budget allocation, which the government currently cannot afford in part due to Malaysia's removal of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), he said.

Instead, he pointed out that vehicles are already fitted with lights for use when travelling in dark conditions.

"If it's dark, turn on the motorcycle lights, car lights and vehicle lights".

Ahmad added that while street lighting is not fully the responsibility of the Works Ministry, RM200 million (S$63.4 million) had previously been approved to install street lights across 20,000 villages.

Street lights are also mainly installed at areas with a history or high risk of accidents, he said.