Sungai Damit RM17 Million Crooked Bridge
Sungai Damit RM17 Million Crooked Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Carries | Vehicles and Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Sungai Damit River |
| Locale | Sungai Damit, Tamparuli, Sabah, Malaysia |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch-tied bridge with rigid hangers |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 100m |
| Width | 14m |
| Height | 28m |
| Traversable? | Yes |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| Capacity | 500 |
| History | |
| Construction start | 2018 |
| Construction end | 2021 |
| Construction cost | RM17 million + RM30 million to dismantle and build new |
| Opened | 2022 |
| Rebuilt | Planned demolition and rebuilt 2025 |
| Closed | 2025 (closed due to structural defects) |
The Sungai Damit RM17 Million Crooked Bridge is an arch-tied bridge located in Sungai Damit, Tamparuli, Sabah, Malaysia. The bridge became controversial due to severe structural defects, crooked or bent in the middle span on its own weight, raising concerns over public safety and allegations of possible fund misappropriation in its construction.[1]
History
The Sungai Damit Crooked Bridge was constructed at a cost of RM17 million as part of an infrastructure project in the area. The bridge was designed to improve local accessibility, but after its completion, it was found to have developed a significant bend, raising questions about construction quality and safety.[2]
Controversy
In February 2025, Zid Aliasgar, exposed the condition of the bridge through a video on his TikTok account. The video went viral with 1.3 million views, sparking debates on several key issues: [3]
Public safety concerns – The bridge’s unusual bending raised fears over its stability.
Questionable construction cost – The RM17 million cost was considered excessively high compared to the bridge’s physical state, which some estimated to be worth only around RM500,000.
Allegations of fund misappropriation – Speculations arose that the project’s funds might have been misused or handled non-transparently.
Aftermath
Following the exposure:
The bridge was closed to the public to prevent potential accidents. An additional RM30 million was allocated by the government to dismantle and construct a new replacement bridge. Zid Aliasgar has continued to demand an investigation into the original RM17 million allocation, believing that there may have been financial mismanagement or corruption in the project.[4]
Impact and Public Response
The Sungai Damit RM17 Million Crooked Bridge controversy sparked a larger discussion on transparency in government infrastructure projects in Sabah. The timing of video evidence of 18 other corruption cases in the state, is so timely. But no action had been taken by the authorities. [5]
The revelation attracted significant public and media attention, increasing pressure on authorities to investigate potential misconduct in infrastructure projects across the region.
See also
References
- ^ "Setiausaha Agung KDM Dr Gaim cadang "Jambatan Sungai Damit Bengkok" dijadikan produk pelancongan baharu Tuaran". Jesselton Times. October 2, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "Jadikan jambatan Sungai Damit sebagai produk pelancongan". Utusan Borneo. October 2, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "Jambatan Tuaran RM18 Juta Bengkok, Netizen Persoal Kualiti Binaan". I Love Borneo. February 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "[VIDEO] Jambatan Tuaran bernilai RM18 juta didakwa terbazir, bengkok kerana bahan tak berkualiti". Majoriti. February 2, 2025. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
- ^ "KDM Sec Gen Dr Gaim wants "Jambatan Sungai Damit Bengkok" to be turned into a new tourism product for Tuaran". Jesselton Times. October 2, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2025.