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Toll hike drama

February 27th, 2009
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I think it fits to be part of a mega-serial story. First, the toll price hike was announced after it was supposedly approved weeks ago as mentioned by PM Badawi. He also went on to suggest that the increase should be put off. Now the situation is deemed unsuitable (read: by-elections) and the price hike is being postponed to at least 31 December of this year (well, we know well enough not to trust dates given by politicians!). UPDATE: DPM Najib says its postponed indefinitely! I liked the one with date. Indefinitely sounds bad to me…don’t know why…

It won’t go unnoticed that elections actually spur development and brings forth positive outcome for many people. So, its good if ADUNs/MPs resign/convicted/dies. The rakyat get goodies and need not wait till five years. We “just” sacrifice one human being for the betterment of many others(!!!!).  So, shall we pray for more by-elections?

Who needs Astro if we can get weekly dramas like this 😉

The government has decided to suspend toll hike of up to 33 percent for five major highways in Klang Valley announced yesterday.

MCPX

The decision was made by the cabinet at its weekly meeting today chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had yesterday call for the cabinet to reconsider toll hike of up to 33 percent for five major highways in Klang Valley.

Abdullah, who is attending an Asean defence ministers meeting in Thailand, said he was concerned that public anger over the latest hike could affect BN’s popularity especially ahead of three crucial by-elections.

The five affected highways are North-South Expressway (Plus), Sprint Highway (Sprint), Ampang Elevated Highway (Akleh), Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya) and New Pantai Expressway (NEP).

In an announcement yesterday, Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed said that toll rates in these five highways would go up on Sunday.

In a dramatic reversal, Mohd Zin said that the toll hike has been “deferred” in view of the public reaction and the ailing economy at a press conference at 4.30pm today.

“With that, my statement yesterday on the toll hike is cancelled,” he said.

Mohd Zin said that the toll increase will be postponed to after Dec 31 this year.

With the 10-month delay, the government will have to pay RM287 million in compensation to the five toll concessionaires.

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Welfare eligibility to be widened

February 27th, 2009
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Its surely a good news for many of the poor folks, single parents, elderly people and so on who can hope to get more benefits. The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is raising the eligible monthly income from RM400 to RM720.

Fifty-six thousand hardcore poor are expected to fall within the social and welfare net in addition to the existing 54,000 people already identified.

The obvious questions of how the recipients are being identified and elements of corruption/discrimination aside, what can our NGO’s do to help the ministry? I remember reading earlier that the Ministry and specially the Welfare Dept is lacking manpower. They need to depend on village heads, JKKK, local politicians, and NGOs. How is the information being flowed to the rakyat? Other than using MIC channels, the Ministry should include NGOs like spiritual organisations, and temple associations as well. Not sure if they are doing so.

In one way, its a good move since more people can enjoy cash inflow. On the other hand, this may encourage dependency on handouts.  The long term plan of providing a job and way out of poverty must not be neglected.

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DPM says condemn violence but members target Karpal

February 26th, 2009
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In the morning, DPM Najib launched the International Conference on Youth and Terrorism:

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today called on the youth to condemn violence and any fragmentation of human kind.

He said youth should have the capacity to realise the futility and destructiveness of terrorism despite the difficult political circumstances or personal traumas that they faced.

At the same time, the younger generation should integrate with a multicultural society to respect religious diversity and believe in democracy and dialogue.

“One thing we all know and agree is that no religion or culture advocates violence to another. Let me also make it clear that no cause or political antecedent can justify acts of terrorism.

“Terrorism and violence cannot be justified under any circumstances,” he said in his opening speech at the International Conference on Youth and Terrorism here.
His speech was delivered by Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

Guess what his party members did. They jumped on Karpal Singh 🙂

DAP chairman and Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh was confronted by a group of Selangor Pemuda Umno members at the Parliament tower block this afternoon.

However, by then the House security had summoned police help and the Karpal was escorted into the lobby.
The shouting session culminated in a scuffle with the Segambut member Lim Lip Eng having his shirt tugged.

The group had been waiting at the parliament tower for Karpal and as soon as he arrived they surrounded him and started heckling him over his warning to Pemuda Umno yesterday.

… This afternoon, Karpal’s aide finding his boss surrounded immediately summoned help and several DAP members came to the rescue.

They immediately got into a shouting session with the youth and that is when Lim’s shirt was tugged.

One wonders what the security were doing in the Parliament. Birthday celebration were condemned thoroughly, but managed to allow violent people inside.

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Toll prices up in March

February 26th, 2009
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While the public were still rejoicing over the removal of a toll booth each at NPE and Besraya highway, today they were hit with a damaging news – the dreaded “toll price increase”.

Malaysiakini provides the details:

The toll rates for five highways – North-South Expressway, Sprint Highway, Ampang Elevated Highway, Sungai Besi Highway, New Pantai Expressway – will go up this Sunday.

Beginning March 1, road users for Plus will be paying an extra 0.86 sen per kilometre – from 13.60 sen per km to 14.46 sen per km – a hike of 6.3 percent.

The following are the new rates for the other highways:

  • Sprint Highway

Pantai toll plaza – up 50 sen from RM1.50 to RM2 (increase of 33%)

Damansara toll plaza – up 30 sen from RM1 to RM1.30 (increase of 30%)

  • Ampang Elevated Highway

Up 50 sen from RM1.50 to RM2 (an increase of 33%)

  • Sungai Besi Highway

Up 10 sen from RM1.30 to RM1.40 (an increase of 7.7%)

  • New Pantai Expressway

Up 40 sen from RM1.60 to RM2 (an increase of 25%)

‘Marginal increase’
Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed, who made the announcement today, said that the government had paid RM245 million in compensation to toll operators to waive the toll hike for last year.

The last major increase in tolls was three years ago when five other highways were hit with an increase of up to 60 percent, sparking major street protests.

There are about 17 toll highways in and around the Klang Valley.

In a statement, the minister said the decision to increase the toll rates was made after the cabinet deliberated on the application by highway concessionaires.

He said the increase was done in accordance with the agreement inked between the government and highway concessionaires.

“These documents are now available to the public and can be studied by everyone,” he added.

Describing it as a ‘marginal increase’, Mohd Zin said Class 1 (private car) users who travel using the Plus highway from Jalan Duta to Bukit Raja (a distance of 34km) will only have to pay an additional 30 sen.

For the Besraya highway, he said, payment is only at the Mines toll plaza because collection at the Salak Jaya toll plaza was stopped on Feb 24.

Similarly, he said while there is an increase in toll rates for the NPE, the government also decided to abolish toll collection at the PJS 2 toll plaza.

Toll hike deferred for one year

“As for the Plus, Sprint and Akleh highways, the toll rate was supposed to have been increased on Jan 1, 2008 but this was deferred leading the government to pay compensation of RM245 million (RM177 million to Plus, RM38 million to Sprint and RM30 million to Akleh).

“The toll rate increase for Sprint and Akleh is minimal given the fact that toll has never been increased for the two highways since they started operating in 2001,” he said.

“The increase should not be seen as burdening the people because the quality of the highways will be ensured,” he added.

I guess most impactful will be the North South Highway toll increase. Actually NKVE and Federal Highway (both under plus) will also see an increase.

I think I’ll be affected by NKVE, Plus and Federal Highway toll increase more than the other highways – I seldom use NPE, Ampang elevated, or Sprint.

Anyway, its a bad news for many many people – expect transportation cost to increase, leading to another round of price increase across the board.

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Selangor Sultan leaves it to MB on Eli issue

February 25th, 2009
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PRESS STATEMENT BY THE SULTAN OF SELANGOR

Following is the full statement by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, over the controversy involving Bukit Lanjan state assemblyman Elizabeth Wong, issued by his private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani.

I am pleased to inform that Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Dato” Abdul Khalid Bin Ibrahim, the Dato” Menteri Besar Selangor has sought an audience with His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Selangor, on Wednesday, 25th February 2009 and duly informed His Royal Highness on the political development and the issue which involved Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping, the Selangor State Assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan who is also the State Selangor Exco Member. His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Selangor, has commanded me to inform that His Royal Highness could not offer any guidance or advice to the Yang Berhormat Dato” Menteri Besar of Selangor in the matter related to the issue of Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping as it was still under police investigation and it involved her political position. It is His Royal Highness” stance as the Sultan of Selangor to be above politics. His Royal Highness believes that whatever decision that is going to be made by the Yang Amat Berhormat Dato” Menteri Besar of Selangor will made with accurateness, fair and with wisdom by taking into consideration the interest of the Rakyat in particular and the State of Selangor generally. His Royal Highness is upset and worried as of late the intrusion of someone”s privacy and private rights was being used to destroy one’s dignity and reputation. It is a sad thing as one”s life and private rights were being made public and subject to public scrutiny by publicising in the mass media. To Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong, His Royal Highness felt sad and sympathised with her as to the unfortunate event she had suffered and hoped that Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong will remain calm and be patient in continuing withher life henceforth.

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