Do not let the toll rates of 12 highways be increased this year by denying BN victories in the Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar Parliamentary by-elections.
DAP is disappointed at Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof’s refusal to openly state that toll rates of eight tolled highways will not be increased this year, with four more scheduled to be increased next year. The eight highways to be increased their toll rates on 1.1.2016 are North-South Expressway, Linkedua, Kesas, Elite, LDP, Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE), Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (SPDH), and New North Klang Straits Bypass Expressway (NNKSB).
The government would need to fork out at least RM 1 billion in compensation to toll concessionaires if the toll rates are not increased later this year, higher than the RM500 million set aside earlier. Fadillah said from 2008 to 2014, the government, more than RM2.2 billion in compensation has been made by the Federal government to the concessionaires in exchange for not increasing toll rates.
Compensation received by the toll concessionaires included RM 214 million for the North-South Highway, RM 8.24 million for the Second Link Expressway and RM 79.44 million for the Elite Highway, RM 3.11 million for the Butterworth Kulim Expressway, RM 1.95 million for the Seremban Port Dickson Highway, RM 92.8 million for the KESAS Highway, RM 7.8 million for the North Klang Straits Bypass and RM 185.9 million for the LDP. This amounted to RM597.24mil, which exceeded the amount set aside by the government for compensating toll concessionaires.
Worse there are four more highways whose toll is to be increased next year namely GCE (Guthrie Corridor Expressway), LEKAS (Lebuhraya Kajang Seremban), SDE (Senai Desaru Expressway) and EDL (Eastern Dispersal Link). Of the 12 highways with toll hikes increases, 7 of them are from Selangor, which is why the Sungai Besar voters can play an important role in shaping the debate on unjustifiable and unfair toll hikes.
The fact that BN can consider increasing toll rates of 8 highways this year and 4 more next year even before polling day for the 2 by-elections on 18 June, shows how BN will sacrifice the many at the expense of the few cronies. Clearly, BN is so confident of victory in the two by-elections, following the enhanced strength of UMNO after their co-operation with PAS and the support of PAS’ 14 MPs.
If the people do not want toll hikes then they should send a strong message by rejecting BN in the 2 by-elections. In fact, the toll for the North-South Highway should be abolished since the concession holder has already got back all his investment cost in building and maintaining the highway. This is the difference between BN and Pakatan. BN wants to maintain and even hike up toll rates, whereas Pakatan wants to abolish the North-South Highway toll.
Last year, a total of eighteen highways across Malaysia saw toll rate hikes, all on one day, October 15. These include AKLEH, Besraya, DUKE, Grand Saga, Guthrie Corridor Expressway, Kajang SILK, Karak, LATAR, LEKAS, LKSA, MEX, NPE, SMART tunnel, Senai-Desaru Expressway, SKVE, Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR), Sprint Expressway and the LDP.