Putrajaya betraying people’s trust over tolls, says PKR

PKR strategy director Sim Tze Tzin says Putrajaya has betrayed the public by hiding plans to increase toll rates. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, June 13, 2015.

The Cabinet's attempt to "hide" plans to increase toll rates is a betrayal of the people, PKR said today, hours after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib slammed "unethical" quarters for leaking the ongoing discussions on the matter.

PKR strategy director Sim Tze Tzin said it was ironic that Najib felt that the government's trust had been betrayed, given that such information should be made transparent to the public in the first place.

"I am referring to the prime minister's statement in which he accused those who leaked the information as being traitors. This is an irresponsible statement," said Sim in a statement.

"The fact is, the government should be transparent in all its policies, including toll hikes. Any attempt to hide toll hikes from the public is a betrayal of the people's trust."

Last night, Najib confirmed that the Cabinet was discussing a proposal to increase toll rates for several major highways, adding that it had yet to come to a decision.

He said he was unhappy with those who leaked the Cabinet discussion on the subject, saying that it was done by unethical people in government.

“It was leaked in social media and played up. It is unfortunate that there are some people who are unethical. They have betrayed (the trust put in them) as a member of the government,” said Najib.

But Sim said today that the government had been betraying the people all this while by using the Official Secrets Act to "hide" details of the toll concessionaires' contracts.

He said the contracts favoured the toll firms, whom he claimed mostly comprised cronies of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN), and this was why the people often had to "suffer" through toll hikes.

Sim also warned Putrajaya not to use the RM6 billion revenue it had collected from the goods and services tax (GST) to pay toll concessionaires, in the event that the government decided not to raise toll rates.

"If the government wants to use the GST revenue to pay the toll concessionaires, they must declassify the contracts. Let the people know what the GST money when they paid for is being used, and why.

"GST payers demand transparency and accountability in the use of GST money. No taxation without accountability."

Yesterday, pro-Umno daily Berita Harian, citing sources, said that toll rates for 16 major highways throughout the country are expected to go up by 20 sen to RM1 in August.

Among the major highways expected to be affected are the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway, the Damansara-Puchong Expressway, the New Pantai Expressway, and Kajang's Silk Highway.

The government last year postponed the scheduled toll hikes amid concerns over rising living costs.

Putrajaya compensated nearly RM560 million to concessionaires to maintain toll charges.

- TMI