About 0.8 per cent of the country's current total rubber production was used in the construction of roads using rubber-based technology Cuplump Modified Bitumen (CMB) in 2019.

Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister II Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng said about 400 tonnes to 500 tonnes of rubber were used for road paving using CMB technology with an allocation of RM100 million.

"Although the (percentage) level is small, the use of CMB for road paving for 202.7 kilometres is very beneficial to the agencies involved such as the Public Works Department (JKR) to evaluate and commercialise research in collaboration with the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB)," he said in response to a question from Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PAS-Kuala Krai) at the Dewan Rakyat here today.

Wee said the government, through the cooperation of the International Tripartite Rubber Council (ITRC) consisting of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, promotes the construction of rubberised roads as one of the strategies to increase the use of natural rubber in their respective countries to stabilise the prices of rubber.

"The relevant ministries and agencies are also constantly implementing efforts to increase the country's rubber consumption, as well as the use of CMB technology to stabilise the prices of rubber," he said.

Meanwhile, Wee said his ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development, was planning to build roads linking rural areas and rural roads.

"The ministry and MRB also hold engagement sessions from time to time with state governments and local authorities, including the Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Iskandar Regional Development Authority, to carry out the construction or paving of roads using CMB technology in the areas under their jurisdiction," he added.

-- BERNAMA