Land of potholes Malaysia

Malaysia may be among the Top 3 in Asia with the best laid roads but even then it still has an extreme case of potty problems. It can be said that you can travel anywhere here and still come across roads with uneven surfaces, speed bumps of varying heights, and of course the topic of this blog - the Pothole. A pothole is a type of disruption in the surface of a roadway where a portion of the road material has broken away, leaving a hole.

Once a pothole forms, it grows through continued removal of broken chunks of pavement. If a pothole fills with water the growth may be accelerated, as the water 'washes away' loose particles of road surface as vehicles pass. In Malaysia, potholes tend to form any time of the year when the subgrade (base layer of the tarred road) is poor due to the soil condition and worksmanship.

Potholes can grow to feet in width, though they usually only become a few inches deep, at most. If they become large enough, damage to tires and vehicle suspensions can occur. That is also why repair & service workshops here can expect a healthy flow of income.

Take for example Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur city in Malaysia, you can expect an uneventful ride that is hammered with potholes, service access manholes, and uneven levels, giving you an endless however you drive bumpy ride. Imagine this...and right in the heart of the nation's pride and joy and with the Kuala Lumpur City Centre district as a landmark as well.

It seems that nowadays, we don't just have to avoid road-fiends on motorcycles but have to swerve to avoid such "potty"-ness.