Government Halts Plan to Abolish Tolls Due to Malaysia’s Weak Financial State

All of us have been looking forward to toll abolition when Pakatan Harapan won the election because they have pledged to do away with tolls once and for all in their 100-day manifesto.

However, it looks like we have to wait a little longer as Putrajaya has reportedly suspended their plans to exterminate highway tolls because of the high costs they will need to bear when compensating the toll concessionaires. 

Source: fmt

FMT wrote that Work Minister Baru Bian announced in the Dewan Rakyat today (13 August 2018) that the government would need to allocate at least RM400 billion to carry on with the abolition of tolls. Baru then explained that this move will only be possible after the country’s financial state was stable.

He was quoted as saying,

“The government will continue efforts to fulfil its promises in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto, including the abolition of highway tolls, but we admit that it is not easy to implement due to the pressures on the government’s finances.”

Well, that seems like a legit reason. 

Source: fmt

In the meantime, Jalaluddin Alias – BN’s MP from Jelebu – criticised the government’s move to postpone the abolition of tolls. He claimed that the decision showed that PH isn’t “serious” about fulfilling the election pledges but Baru explained that they have never said that PH was going to remove tolls within the first 100 days of obtaining Putrajaya.

Well, it looks like we will not be seeing any tolls being abolished soon but, hopefully, the government will live up to its promise and get rid of tolls once the country’s financial condition is stable.

What do you think of the government postponing the abolition of tolls? Leave us your thoughts in the comments’ section! 

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