SHAH ALAM, 17 Dec: Rumours about the increase in toll rates, which is expected to happen next year, has become a hot topic being discussed by users, especially in social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
The series of increases in prices is deemed excessive by a huge portion of the people, starting from the announcement by the Umno-BN Government to increase the price of RON95 petrol by R0.20, followed by sugar (RM0.34) and the 15 percent increase for electricity.
Not stopping there, the Chairman of the Public Land Transport Commission (SPAD), Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, recently proposed to review the rates for public transportation such as the light rail transit (LRT), Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and Monorail, as well as school bus fees in 2014.
Making the situation worse, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, in a press statement, proposed for motorists to use alternative routes if they do not agree with the increase in toll rates.
A user, Ravichandren Mamiar, is of the opinion that the government should study ways to manage the country’s wealth to be channelled to the people instead of increasing prices of goods and basic services steeply, oppressing the low-income earners.
There were some motorists who also said that the people have been cheated by Umno-BN after winning the 13th General Election (GE13) when in less than a year, various increases have been announced.
“How have the people been cheated? After winning, in a year to two, all prices have been increased. When it is close to the election period, the third and fourth year, prices are decreased and some are abolished. This is the government’s tactic to fool the people,” said a user on the Selangorku Media Facebook page.
“This is the result of not wisely managing the country’s economy, continuously, with the tradition of the country’s money leakages. Eventually the people have to suffer. After this, what are they going to increase next?” asked Muhammad Affidan Hamdani.
Sopi Sahak cynically said that tolled highways can only be used by the rich, while the proletarian have to use normal roads filled with potholes and dangerous turns.
Meanwhile, Noramin Sulaiman, said that about 80 percent of the roads in Malaysia are tolled highways and is needed to be used by people in the city every day to go about their daily lives.
“It is feared by the people that if we use ordinary roads, the government would put a toll there too,” Haslawati Dahlan cynically said.
The increase in toll rates is said to have followed the statement by the Public Work’s Minister, Datuk Fadillah Yusof, that there will be a revision of the rates next year due to the agreement between the government and highway concessionaires.
It has been reported that the rate is expected to increase from 30 cents to RM1, but not for how far the distance would be.
There are 13 highways involved in the revision.
Pakatan Rakyat objects to the proposal because the move would profit concessionaires and further burden users.
