MCA slams 'sneaky' Guan Eng: Cutting tolls? But DAP intends to introduce new ones!

The announcement by the DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng that should Pakatan manage to capture Putrajaya, they would abolish tolls for the North-South Expressway and the first Penang Bridge is laughable as the common layperson will recognize that this is another election gimmick by the Penang Chief Minister.

Stirring up emotional sentiments and even in the years prior to the 12^thgeneral election (GE), Pakatan and DAP in particular had incessantly objected to the Sungai Nyior toll, promising that once in power, they would remove it. Their emotive fervour worked and Penangites threw their support behind the tripartite Opposition coalition.

However today in Penang, five years since DAP snared the state administration, the Sungai Nyior toll continues to collect toll from vehicle owners unhindered. Why is the DAP-helmed state government not doing anything or coming up with any solutions to keep to their 2008 promises to rid Penang of its tolls?

Pakatan broke 2008 election vows

In continuing their emotional charades, the Pakatan Manifesto launched with great ceremonial vigour last week replicated their Buku Jingga pledge that all tolls would be removed. Effectively, this is just another tempting policy of theirs built on a very porous foundation. Typical of DAP and Pakatan, they will be quick to blame the Barisan Nasional federal government when they themselves fail to carry out their much-touted vows.

Furthermore, practising the complete opposite of their pledges, Guan Eng as Chief Minister even declared the introduction of new tolls for the 6.5km Gurney Drive-Bagan Ajam  undersea. In announcing the name of the successful concessionaire, he relayed that one of the four conditions set by the state government was that “toll charges must be similar to the second Penang bridge.” This declaration clearly contravenes Pakatan’s and DAP’s GE manifestos on dismantling highway tolls.

While Guan Eng seeks to solicit sympathy by appearing to yearn for the removal of tolls from Johor Baru to Bukit Kayu Hitam (Perlis), he sneakily omits reminding of the new pending tolls for the Pearl of the Orient in view of the recently-awarded mega project. The public is urged to not fall for DAP’s emotional charades again.

Dato’ Koay Kar Huah
MCA Penang Advisor