4 theSun | THURSDAY NOVEMBER 20 2008

news without borders

by Maria J. Dass CIJ welcomes move

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: The

government should be looking
at ways to reduce congestion
on the roads by regulating toll
rates instead of using “regular
‘Toll discount will to declassify
highway contracts
KUALA LUMPUR: The Centre for
Independent Journalism (CIJ) has

benefit only a few’

sale tactic” to look like it is
lessening the burden of the people,
said Federation of Malaysian
Consumer Associations secretary-
general Muhammad Sha’ani
Abdullah.
“This is just for show and
does not lessen the burden of the
man on the street as only 10% of
highway users will benefit,” he
said, referring to the toll discount
for those who travel between
midnight and 7am on the PLUS
and Elite highways.
Among the reasons given for
the midnight-7am window was
that it would encourage people
to wake up and go to work early
so that they will spend longer
hours at work and be more
productive.
“The government should use
this method to regulate traffic and
reduce congestion during peak
hours in the cities,” Sha’ani said.
“This can go a long way
towards easing the burden of
consumers because each time
they get stuck at toll booths fuel is
wasted .
LOOK AT WAYS TO REDUCE ROAD CONGESTION INSTEAD: FOMCA
“They waste time and fuel just
to pay toll and then get caught in a
congestion after that,” he said.
Sha’ani also said the
government should opt for
cashless payment systems to
smoothen traffic flow.
“Only a 5% discount is being
offered to those who spend RM200
or more on the electronic toll
payment facility. What about
those who cannot afford this?” he
asked.
The government, he said,
should find ways to correct
the system which has failed to
address the problem of congestion,
especially in the cities.
MCA, meanwhile, urged PLUS
to reduce toll charges to benefit
everyone and not selectively.
Describing the discount
as not practical as it will only
benefit a small group of people
who use the highways during
off-peak hours, its Information
and Communication Bureau
chairman Lee Wei Kiat said
in a statement yesterday: “The
majority of the public who wish
to benefit from this measure
are forced to go out early in the
morning for work and return
after midnight which contradicts
their normal routine.
“With the worsening Mat
Rempit menace on the roads at
night, the highway concessionaire
cannot afford to overlook the
safety aspect of expressway users
driving late at night.”
Lee said the discount applies
only to Class 1 vehicle which
excludes such vehicles as lorries
and taxis which are among the
main users of expressways.
“The PLUS concessionaire
should also take into consideration
the needs of such groups,” he said.
With the number of road users
increasing every year, PLUS,
according to its 2008 annual
report, reported a gross profit
of RM1,605,698,000, and should
therefore reduce toll charges
which is the best way to reward
users, Lee added.
welcomed the government’s decision
to declassify highway concession
contracts and hopes future contracts
with public interest are made more
transparent.
Its executive director V. Gayathry
said the announcement by Works
Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad
on Tuesday should pave the way
for more disclosures of government
contracts with the private sector.
“We still deserve an explanation
as to why the government agrees
to conditions on paying compensa-
tion to toll concessionaires and
the perceived lop-sidedness in the
agreements. As individuals, it annoys
us that we either have to accept toll
rate hikes or part with our money in-
directly when the government agrees
to compensate concessionaires
when they are not allowed to raise
the prices,” she said in a statement.
She said the OSA is an outdated
law that is used to keep information
from public scrutiny and should be
replaced with a Freedom of Infor-
mation law that will obligate public
bodies to disclose decisions made
on using public funds.

Do your ‘homework’, cabbies tell Noh Omar
by Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Cabbies have criticised
Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development
Minister Datuk Noh Omar, saying he “had
not done his homework” in suggesting
that taxi drivers can sell packet drinks and
phonecards to passengers as a side business.
Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor
Taxi Owners and Drivers Association
secretary-general Rickman Hiew told a press
conference yesterday that one of the basic
conditions of taxi permits is that passengers
are barred from eating and drinking in the
vehicles.
Calling the minister’s suggestion illogical,
Hiew said: “The taxis have stickers (pic) and
signs restricting passengers from eating and
drinking and littering in the taxi. So how can
we sell drinks in the taxi but restrict them
from drinking it?”
“If the minister really wants to help us
(taxi drivers), he should raise taxi fares from
RM2 to RM3 for the first kilometre,” he said,
pointing out that the fare had not been raised
for 12 years.
Kuala Lumpur Radio Taxi Workers
Association chairman Leong Aw said selling
phone cards or pre-paid cards in the taxis
would also make them targets of robbers.
“We always hear stories of taxi drivers
Dr M to submit
reports on
being robbed and murdered. There was even
a case recently, and carrying valuable things
money politics
like phone cards can put us at risk of getting PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister
robbed and even cost us our lives,” said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said all the
73-year-old Leong, pointing out that many reports received by him on incidents
taxi drivers are not young people. of money politics in Umno would be
He said taxi meter rates also need to be forwarded to the party’s Disciplinary
reviewed as they do not make much when Committee for further action.
they are caught in traffic jams with the He said the reports would also be
current meter charge during waiting time at submitted to the Anti-Corruption Agency
10 sen per 45 seconds. for legal action to be taken.
Leong challenged the minister to drive a “If these two means are futile, I will
taxi for a day to experience first-hand their reveal the names of those involved
struggle to earn a decent income. together with the reports in my blog,”
Wilayah Persekutuan and Selangor Radio he said during a “Dialogue with Tun Dr
Taxi Association representative Lim Kow, Mahathir” at the Perdana Leadership
who was also present, said the suggestions Foundation, here, yesterday.
may seem helpful but in reality do not benefit Mahathir said bold action was need-
them. ed now to restore Umno’s image and
The taxi drivers suggested measures the position, which were increasingly being
government could take to help them, such tarnished by rampant money politics.
as increasing the taxi fare to RM3 for the He said the unending problem had
first kilometre; reviewing the meter-waiting caused Umno to be detested by others
charge to 10 sen per 30 seconds instead of as it was done openly and excessively.
45; providing protection grills in taxis for “If we are not brave enough to act
drivers like in other countries; having more against this scourge, Umno will be
natural gas filling stations so that taxi drivers destroyed. Destruction awaits us if the
do not have to wait for hours in the queue for situation continues,” he added.
gas; and allowing taxis to pick up passengers Earlier, Mahathir who helmed Umno
from KL International Airport as it is a loss for 22 years, said money politics was the
for taxis to return empty after dropping off main factor that could destroy Umno and
passengers at the airport. the whole party structure. – Bernama