Coalition Against Toll to organise a mass protest public rally against toll at Bukit Jalil  Stadium on Feb. 26

(Petaling Jaya, Monday): The second nation-wide toll plazas protest went off successfully yesterday, with more Malaysians participating in the nation-wide protest than the previous Sunday.

I want in particular to  commend the thousands of people from all races, religions and political affiliations who took part in the protests against unfair highway privatisation and unfair highway tolls for conducting themselves in a peaceful, orderly and disciplined manner for Malaysians must demonstrate to the nation and the world that they could stand up for their democratic rights to protest against injustices but fully mindful of the need to help maintain peace and order.

I urge the Cabinet on Wednesday to heed the clear message sent out  by thousands of Malaysians in the two nation-wide toll plazas protest in the last two Sundays and  to take four important  decisions:
 

• Establish a Highways Consultative Council  (HCC) to involve all political parties, NGOs and the Malaysian public in a wide-ranging review of the 12-year highway privatisation programme and to make recommendations.
• Rescind the Cabinet decision to increase tolls at four expressways after the Chinese New Year, namely  the North-South Expressway (Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan Bhd - Plus), North-South Central Link (Expressway Lingkaran Tengah Sdn. Bhd), Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas Sdn. Bhd) and the Kulim-Butterworth Expressway (Konsortium Lebuhraya Kulim-Butterworth Sdn. Bhd) and to defer the issue  until the completion of the review of the highway privatisation programme by the Highway Consultative Council.
• Make public all the highway privatisation concession contracts.
• Issue a White Paper to justify the RM250 million toll injustice imposed on motorists as a result of the continued 50-sen toll collection at Jalan Kuching by Kamunting Corporation Bhd., although  the original nine-year concession had expired in January 1996 and the concessionaire had collected RM183 million from its RM60 million investment in the concession and another RM14 million outlay in additional road upgrade - and now stands to collect another RM250 million from toll in the seven-year extension of the concession from 1996-2003.

The Coalition Against Toll will  continue with its nation-wide toll plazas protest next Sunday unless the earlier decision to hold weekly nation-wide toll plazas protests every Sunday is revoked.  The Coalition Against Toll is also organising a mass public rally at Bukit Jalil Stadium on February 26.

At its third meeting in Petaling Jaya tomorrow, the Coalition Against Toll will review the two nation-wide toll plazas protests and decide on the future course of action.

(8/2/99)