1 February 2020

Press statement by MCA President Datuk Seri Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong on Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s claim that keeping PLUS toll for the next 38 years is a “gradual step” towards abolishment

The statement by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng that the toll reductions of 18% at all highways belonging to PLUS Malaysia Bhd is a step-by-step move implemented by the Pakatan Harapan government towards the goal of abolishing toll is mind boggling.

Lim Guan Eng has claimed that this is a gradual step towards the end goal and that was stated in the promises of the Pakatan Harapan manifesto.

This is the beginning of 2020 and the PLUS owned toll concessions which had 18 more years to expire has now been more than doubled to another 38 years to expire. It’s a long long long wait and how it can be described as a step by step abolition is hard to swallow.

What Guan Eng had also failed to mention that the 18% discounts is funded in large part by EPF contributors via lower yearly dividends as EPF will no longer benefit from the yearly compensation paid by the government to PLUS.

With this new arrangement which started yesterday , EPF contributors are subsiding the 18% discount for toll users and also subsidizing the government every year.

So how can this possibly be a gradual step by step towards toll abolishment.

Additionally, yesterday was also the day that more than 10 new toll plazas on the WCE highway officially started toll collections despite DAP issuing multiple statements before that the highway will be toll-free should PH win.

There are enough press statements and videos made by DAP leaders such as Lim Guan Eng and his political secretary, Tony Pua, including in 2018, before the general election, which they spoke of abolishing the tolls including possible buy-out. Some of these similar statements were made in 2012 but of course these DAP leaders now prefer that we have forgotten the pledges and promises.

But the DAP has failed miserably and worse is now trying to lie their way out after failing to fulfill their promises and pledges. The rakyat are not stupid . Please do not insult the intelligence of the people. They have listened to your many election ceramah and watched enough videos to know that you have been lying incessantly with regards to your many promises to abolish the tolls.

Many young DAP leaders may not be aware that on Sept 7, 1990, thousands of people from Cheras clashed with the police against the setting up of a toll gate there at the instigation of the DAP. The protests saw the DAP leading the charge and the party even made open accusations against then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of favouring his political cronies.

Fast forward 2020, the Finance Minister and DAP Secretary General is now in the forefront of extending the toll collection for another 38 years and trying to pull wool over our eyes with flimsy excuses.

Enough is enough. It is clear that the PH government and in particular the DAP can no longer be trusted to fulfill the pledges but worse has violated these electoral promises. Enough is enough.

Datuk Seri Dr Ir Wee Ka Siong
MCA President

-MCA online-