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PLUS given 24-hour ultimatum to immediately withdraw unilateral, arbitrary and illegal fines on North-South Expressway users for allegedly “overstaying” in the expressway or face nation-wide protests
Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh, Thursday): I have received irate calls from the public following today’s report in the Sin Chew Daily that PLUS has without notice, as well as unreasonably and illegally, started to impose fines on North-South Expressway users for allegedly “overstaying” in the expressway. It quoted a PLUS spokesman as saying that starting today, the North-South Expressway concessionaire has started to implement the new penalty, whereby North-South Expressway users who “overstayed” the permitted time period on the expressway would be fined at the toll exit point.
I call on the Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to immediately stop PLUS from unilaterally, arbitrarily and illegally imposing fines on North-South Expressway users for allegedly “overstaying” on the expressway – as if PLUS has become a law unto itself, with powers to impose unreasonable and even ridiculous regulations.
PLUS will be acting as a “highwayman” if it is allowed to go scot-free on such an oppressive measure.
Irate members of the public complained that what PLUS has done is the height of irresponsibility for a corporate citizen, as well as utterly anti-social, as motorists should not be threatened with “fines” for “over-resting”, which can only lead to higher accident rates costly to lives and property.
PLUS should apologise for such ridiculous and high-handed regulation, return every sen of illegal fine imposed since yesterday, sack the official responsible for the decision and give a solemn undertaking that there would be no repetition of such manifestation of utter lack of CSR – corporate social responsibility.
DAP will mobilize nation-wide protest by North-South Expressway users and members of the public if such a ridiculous, arbitrary and illegal penalty is not withdrawn within 24 hours. |