Rahman Dahlan blasts Tun M over toll highways

PETALING JAYA: The vast majority of the toll concessions with favourable terms to concessionaires were contracted during the premiership of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, says Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
In contrast to Mahathir's leadership, Abdul Rahman said the current administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had executed the rationalisation of toll charges.
He added Najib's government was also responsible for abolishing several tolls in the country.
He said the acquirement of the North-South Expressway by Khazanah and EPF in 2010 was meant to re-balance the toll charging mechanism.
"Hence, in this case, 51% (of shares) is held by the government and 49% by the EPF," he said.
"Under this full ownership, the concession agreement was re-negotiated and hence all PLUS-owned highways such as the North-South Expressway, Penang Bridge and the Tuas Second Link did not see any toll increase since Datuk Seri Najib became Prime Minister in 2009," he said in a statement.
"Additionally, major new highways such as the Central Spine Road and the Pan-Borneo Highway that started construction under this government are also designated as completely toll-free," he said.
Mahathir, who led the country for 22 years, on Wednesday stressed the need for toll collections in the country, stating that it was necessary to cover the cost of building highways and maintenance.
Najib had previously branded Mahathir, who now leads the opposition pact, as the father of all tolls due to the lopsided agreements benefiting only his cronies, rather than the rakyat.
Rahman Dahlan said Mahathir's statement on toll collections had just "thrown cold water" on the opposition's idea of abolishing tolls.
"Mahathir himself justified why tolls are necessary and he even went on to say that toll charges in Malaysia are one of the cheapest in the world," he added.