Will tolls be hiked or not, Najib must CONFIRM - Puchong MP threatens 'SERIES OF PROTESTS'

I call upon Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak to give us his personal assurance that toll rates for highways in the Klang Valley will not increase.

The government has many times in response to questions from me in Parliament said that it is looking for ways to reduce toll and traffic on these highways.

In fact the Prime Minister on 28.1.2011 said that he had in line with the 1Malaysia, People First, Performance now concept asked toll concessionaires to carry out a review of their respective toll structures "to help the government prosper the country and lessen the burden of the people".

He had also, quite obviously to garner support from the public prior to the general election, announced that no toll would be imposed on certain highways such as the Eastern Dispersal Link in Johor Bahru.

But what we see now is the possibility of the opposite happening.

Whilst the Prime Minister and his government often say they sympathize with the people who they acknowledge are financially already under a very heavy burden, their actions seem to suggest otherwise.

There are many who cannot make ends meet because of the spiraling costs of living particularly in the Klang Valley. The government must not further burden them. It must look for ways to ease the burden of the people instead.

It doesn't make sense for toll to go up where we see a big rise in the volume of traffic on these highways which means a bigger collection for the concessionaires. The government should explain this. What is the justification for the price hikes? Shouldn't the price of toll come down instead where the volume of traffic increases?

I want the government to keep to its word. Reduce toll, not increase it.

If need be, I will launch a series of protests in Puchong to demand that the government keep to its promise to look for ways to reduce toll rates. I think the time has come for us to remind the government that we are serious about this and that they cannot simply do as they please without objection from the people.

GOBIND SINGH DEO
MP Puchong