The various ways in which the rakyat can be burdened with more and higher rates, duties, surcharges, taxes and what-have-you are unlimited to the whims and fancies of the authority — and as long as they will allow them to happen.
Now, we have been told that there will be another increase of toll rates of up to 33% for five major highways in the Klang Valley come March 1, but, suddenly put off for the time being in a no-surprise-anymore of classic flip-flopping administration.
The 5 highways which will be affected are North-South Expressway (Plus), Sprint Highway (Sprint), Ampang Elevated Highway (Akleh), Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya) and New Pantai Expressway (NEP).
The question for this week …
In light of motorists and motor vehicle owners still having to pay road tax, is it in any way fair that the rakyat be further burdened by having to pay any toll at all?
– Terjemahan oleh Lee Wee Tak – Ucapan ribuan terima kasih dari Wee Choo Keong –
Soalan Mingguan WR Anda ke-47
Terdapat pelbagai kaedah di mana rakyat jelata akan dibebankan dengan kadar, duti, caj tambahan, cukai dan apatah lagi yang tertakluk kepada suka hati dan kerelaan pihak berkuasa.
Kini, kita diberitahu bahawa kadar tol untuk 5 lebuhraya utama di Lembah Kelang akan dinaikkan sebanyak 33% mulai 1 haribulan March tetapi ini ditangguhkan buat sementara waktu tetapi kejadian tidak menghairankan kerana tabiat pihak pentadbiran kini yang sering mengubah pendiriannya.
Lima lebuhraya terlibat adalah:
Lebuh raya Utara Selatan / North-South Expressway (Plus), Lebuh raya Sprint / Sprint Highway (Sprint), Lebuhraya Bertingkap / Ampang Elevated Highway (Akleh), Lebuh raya Sungai Besi / Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya) dan Lebuh raya Pantai / New Pantai Expressway (NEP).
Soalan minggu ini adalah …
Memandangkan bahawa para pemilik motosikal dan kereta telah dikenakan cukai jalan, adakah adil untuk rakyat dibebankan lagi dengan kadar tol?
Badawi administration exhibited a consistent trend – someone will say something stupid, unfair or cruel then after some public outcry, Badawi will come out to stop it.
I suspect this is designed to make Badawi look smart, decisive and caring. Since it is a pre-arrange stage play, he can manage it quite well.
When there is a real crises, like world economy slowdown, BN losing 2 by-elections, unexpected (?) support instead of expected hue and cry over the Eli Wong character assassination COCK-UP, humanitarian crises in Myanmar and the flood that coincident with the opening of a restaurant, Badawi’s silence is subtle but no unnoticed
So this instruction from Badawi to delay toll rates increase makes him look caring to the rakyat. Hell, we still pay, but through a different channel
Why are Malaysians so interested and emotional over some photos of Eli Wong whereby most of us would do the same thing in those photos anyway?
Why are we not mad about all the education, medical, welfare, development facilities that has been converted to supernormal profits earned/sucked by a selected few?
Back to your question, a charge of toll may be reasonable if the private companies that built them control their budget and cost. Given the way our toll operators run their operations, I seriously doubt our toll rates has an iota of fairness in it.
Of course it is NOT FAIR lah, YB!
Moreover it is not right at all for the government to privatise our roads and highways. It should be a public service to the rakyat. Our freedom to go anywhere, anytime in our homeland without hindrance and paying for anything is our citizens’ right! Paying toll limits us to freely move about according to our ability to pay and likened to the olden days when the warlords will charge a ‘fee’ when you happen to cross their by-way to go somewhere! This is highway robbery or extortion!
In fact, the government should stop the privatisation (in fact more accurate to say ‘piratisation’) of other essential services like water, electricity, telecom and hospitals and re-nationalise them back!
YB, please do something about this. The rakyat kena squeeze everywhere lah in too many ways and for too long. Sampai nak mampoi!
To flip flop in decision making is consistent with Pak Lah! I can’t wait for march to end so that Malaysia need not put up with him, son in law, son and cronies like Kalimullah, Tony Fernandez and gang.
After Pak Lah disappear you will see the begining of the end of Air Asia and all Kalimullah outfits like Fox Media and etc.
Malaysia does not need any toll. Toll is for UMNO boys only.
YB,
Can you help kickstart a recycling campaign in Wangsa Maju? Let’s not wait for any politicised campaign from DBKL … let’s start with our own effort.
Thank you.
I agree with Maizatul Ahmad and you can count me in.