The Public Works Department (JKR) and the Malaysian Rubber Board yesterday signed a Memorandum of Agreement to undertake joint research in the use of the frozen rubber “cup lumps” as an additional material in asphalt, Bernama reports.
It is good news for the rubber industry as the use of frozen rubber cup lumps in the construction of Malaysian roads is expected to boost domestic demand for rubber by 10% annually. Malaysia produces 700,000 metric tonnes of rubber every year. Cup lumps are obtained directly from rubber trees without going through any manufacturing process.
Minister of Plantation, Industries and Commodities Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the move to increase domestic usage is among efforts to stabilise rubber prices and reduce the impact on about 300,000 smallholders in Malaysia.
“The uncertainty in the global rubber market is the main challenge faced by this industry. Rubber prices on the global market is influenced by a number of factors, including demand and supply, as well as the economic growth of key importing countries,” he explained.
Uggah added that although the research might take time, maybe up to 2018, he hoped it could be implemented as early as next year. The minister has been pushing for rubberised roads for some time – a report from last October said that Malaysia is preparing to build its first rubberised roads in June 2015.
This move recalls the recent government push for B10 biodiesel (10% palm-based biodiesel and 90% petroleum diesel, we’re currently using B7) to assist the palm oil industry. That unilateral move has been met with resistance from the car industry, with diesel players like Toyota, Isuzu and BMW saying that B10 will cause engine damage.
This move appears to at least bring some benefits to those outside the rubber industry. Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said rubber had previously been used in the construction of roads and rubberised roads had proven to have a longer lifespan compared to normal tarmac.
Thailand has also conducted trials with up to 3.3 tonnes of natural rubber per km for the construction of the rubberised roads. Results have indicated that although initial costs are higher, long-term maintenance is lower compared to the tarmac equivalent. And most would agree that poorly maintained roads are an issue for us in Malaysia.
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Brb, wanna plant some rubber trees.
apo kono jang, noreh ler..
Typical Malaysian joke:
1. Sendiri Cakap
2. Sendiri Syok
3. Nothing done
4. Duit Ditelan
Good move. Maximise usage of our natural resources. But please la.. Please stop all the mark up mark up things among yourselves. Rakyat letih!
Stupid idea just to please the farmers. After the rubber price become higher expensive, would they still keep using it? Or go back to using tar again, whichever is cheaper?
Exactly trying to offload old stocks like palm oil for B10 biodiesel nonsense. Sigh geleng kepala.
Y tis flyover pic again?
when talking about pan borneo highway, show tis photo. When talk about other road tis photo again.
nthg better to show?
how about the safety measurement?
the B10 ignore the safety by damaging the engine
any checking and measurement on braking on raining days for buses, trucks, and also lastly passengers car?
in developing country aka close to 3rd world country, human live is worth less in terms of safety measurement…Paul has been raising the car safety for years and yet the regulators take no action on it.
all these “ideas” are bailing out the cronies companies from palm oil to rubber..
we should create product out of this raw material for outside market which is bigger.
THe only reason they want put rubber into roads is because nobody wants Malaysia rubber anymore.
Low quality and price higher compared to Indonesia or Thailand.
If nobody uses rubber, Felda shares will continue to drop.
So ‘somebody’ must absorb all those extra rubber.
Just another case of ‘I scratch your back, you scratch my back’
Dude since when boleh rubber is high price? Rubber price is standard
Felda? I thought they doing palm oil? Now rubber since when?
Surprised that research relating rubber and roads is only being done now, talking about being behind the curve.
Mr.Mohan, for info, research has been done by local Uni’s quite sometime now. During my study back in 2006, me & some of my colleagues in Highway Engineering have tested for its combination ratio, durability and different types of crumb rubber to mix with premix. The result for its durability really impressive, plus suitable to use in porous asphalt road – which will allow water seeps through road surface. Our highways have been using this combination at certain area for testing if not mistaken.
Just implementation wise by Gomen is quite slow. All about money & cents…
It was my FYP. Did a acoustic studies on Putrajaya’s huge circle’s using rubberized asphalt. Was part of a contractor team fabricating North-South Highway third lane widening project from bukit beruntung to rawang. The whole road was laid with rubberized asphalt. In US, sacramento california widely uses these compound.
gone are the days when cars can drift on tarmac…. sigh….
Why cannot?
Rubber road, the grip is very good. Less potential for skidding.
Also the lifespan longer because impact absorption is good compared to small stones which chips off easily. Your tire also can last longer.
If more research money being put in, this could be good potential in the long run.
Nowadays, most urban Malaysians drive relatively new, modern cars with rugged suspension set ups. Modern cars tend to have better damping characteristics which soak up most of the bumps and minor potholes on our roads. Even cheap cars like the Axia and Saga SV have amazing ride comfort compared to the older Kancil and Iswara before them. I drive a 2007 Saga (Iswara) and the ride comfort is truly horrendous (because it’s a car designed with 1980s technology). The seating position is low to the ground, which means an hour stuck in a jam could greatly wear the driver down, equivalent to 1.5 or 2 hours in a new Saga SV which has a far higher seating position. Most Japanese cars from the 80s and 90s had low seating positions, even Camrys and Accords as well. Still, some old German, British and French luxury cars had good seating positions and comfy suspension set ups wayyy back, but most others did not.
Unfortunately, because most urbanites drive modern cars which soak up the road imperfections, most of us don’t realize how terrible things are until we get in an older car (or a new, old car). The roads in most of our big cities would make anyone feel like they’re in a warzone. Some places have nice roads (like Cyberjaya), but they’re getting worse by the day.
I don’t think so, potholes are everywhere, people can definitely feel it, especially when they suffer rim bengkok, tayar pecah etc.
Some part of highway to Cyber can get so bumpy. Pay toll to drive dangerous road, then get blamed for causing accident, never the highway design/construction’s fault. Only in Msia.
looks like many more try to get govt tender on road repairing and construction!
Hi Danny, maybe you can elaborate to us further on what the driving dynamics will be like on a rubberised road vs. traditional tarmac? What about vehicular grip ratio during braking and wet/hot/humid conditions? I believe most of us don’t know anything about this. Thanks.
Poorly maintained roads is an issue in Malaysia because its an opportunity for you people to siphon money! Funny how low quality of job was done with every road resurfacing! After a few months, there are potholes all over again and the contractors (possibly cronies) got projects again. Causing unnecessary traffic jams again and again. Wasting RAKYAT’S petrol and time being stuck in traffic jams!
Blame that to state govt as they controlled road in their state except federal road n highway road
Ya, I believe all those gov family members already bought the rubber trEe landas many as possible before this.
Sounds like insider trading get early tip-off
#greed is good
Thais research.
Malaysians butthurts.
True story!
Bad news for those cronies, contractors and sub-con which suck the rakyat’s money dry by paving a poor quality road with top money, so that they can do it every few months.
What do you mean by saying, “This move recalls the recent government push for B10 biodiesel”???? English please. Are they recalling that move or what?
Millions of used tyres out there. Just need to separate the rubber from the steel belting, pulvarise if and whalla, you have the rubber infills that can be used as the wearing course of the road surface
Will rubber rubs against rubber cause fires? Looks like our natural resources nobody want to buy and we have so much surplus and need to find ways to use it ourselves.
Ok OKOK,
Good project, lets start!!
I love project, I love new tech
But don forget my commisxxx
Please see it through and make sure it does what they claim. Hopefully this is not a half hearted project like many *brilliant* ideas before.