(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): The Coalition Against Toll (CAT) will form a state-level CAT co-ordinating committee whose first task will be to mobilise nation-wide participation for the mammoth anti-toll protest public rally at Bukit Jalil Stadium on Feb. 26.
This has become even more urgent in view of the announcement by the Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu yesterday that the new toll rates for the four expressways would be implemented after the Chinese New Year from March 1.
The CAT will consider whether the campaign against unfair highway privatisation and unfair tolls should be focussed in the constituencies of the Ministers so that the voters in these Ministerial constituencies could speak loud and clear their demand that the government should suspend all toll rate increases, a renegotiation of all highway privatisation concessions, the establishment of a Highways Consultative Council and a full public review of the 12-year highway privatisation programme.
February 24 is the only Cabinet meeting before the new expressway toll rates come into force and the only chance to suspend the toll rates increases, and I call on all the Ministers to declare whether they are prepared to be the voice of the people by speaking up in Cabinet to freeze the toll rates increases.
I am particularly interested in the position of the Gerakan President and the Minister for Primary Industries, Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik as he had wanted to give the people the impression he is sympathetic to the opposition of motorists and the general public against unfair highway privatisation and unfair highway tolls - or whether Keng Yaik is going to fall silent at the most critical time to prevent unfair toll rate increases.
(13/2/99)