KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 2): The use of cup lump modified asphalt (CMA) technology, which mixes frozen rubber (cup lump) into asphalt, has the potential to increase demand for local rubber and create greater economic opportunities for smallholders, said Deputy Minister of Works Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

He said this technology uses five tonnes of frozen rubber for every kilometre of pavement, making it one of the initiatives that could boost the use of local raw materials if expanded nationwide.

"I agree that this technology should be implemented on a larger scale across the country to help rubber smallholders and the rubber industry," he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.

Ahmad was responding to a question from Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan (PN-Merbok) regarding the effectiveness of CMA as an alternative to existing pavement technologies.

He added that a total of 216.8km of CMA pavement had been implemented on federal roads between 2018 and 2025 through 142 work orders by the federal road concession companies in Peninsular Malaysia.

He added that an evaluation conducted over 38 months in four federal locations — Tampin, Baling, Temerloh, and Kota Bharu, showed that CMA pavement performed satisfactorily in terms of rut formation and resistance to cracking.

“This result proves that this material has great potential for use in road construction," he said.

CMA technology was developed by the Malaysian Rubber Board (LGM) and evaluated by the Public Works Department (JKR) through the Centre of Excellence in Engineering and Technology (Create). Studies have shown that CMA pavements can last up to five years, which is twice as long as regular bitumen pavements.

Ahmad added that the government is currently evaluating three local technologies for broader use in roadworks, namely CMA, Modified Binder based on recycled plastic by PETRONAS, and Crumb Rubber Modified Asphalt (CRMA) which uses recycled rubber such as used tyres.

"This initiative not only drives local technological innovation but also contributes to environmental conservation through the use of recycled materials and natural rubber," he said.

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