ett ed ▁as ▁Asian ▁Highway ▁A H 1 4 3 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Inter state ▁ ▁Before ▁to l led ▁express ways ▁were ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s , ▁most ▁Malays ians ▁travel led ▁around ▁Pen ins ula ▁Malays ia ▁on ▁federal ▁roads . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁reasons ▁for ▁building ▁new ▁express ways ▁in ▁Malays ia ▁are ▁the ▁increasing ▁number ▁of ▁vehicles ▁along ▁federal ▁routes , ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁major ▁ports ▁and ▁air ports ▁in ▁Malays ia , ▁and ▁the ▁increasing ▁population ▁in ▁major ▁cities ▁and ▁towns ▁of ▁Malays ia . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁the ▁Highway ▁Pl anning ▁Unit ▁was ▁established ▁under ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Works ▁and ▁Communic ations . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁to l led ▁highway ▁in ▁Malays ia ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 0   km ▁( 1 0   m iles ) ▁Tan j ung ▁Mal im – S lim ▁River ▁to l led ▁road ▁( F eder al ▁Route ▁ 1 ) ▁which ▁was ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁It ▁saved ▁journey ▁time ▁by ▁half ▁an ▁hour , ▁and ▁cars ▁were ▁charged ▁ 5 0 ▁sen , ▁bus es ▁and ▁l or ries ▁R M 1 ▁and ▁motor cy cles ▁ 2 0 ▁sen . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁with ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁North – S outh ▁Express way , ▁the ▁to ll ▁pla za ▁was ▁removed ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁to ll -