THE only reason the government is making an announcement on tolls is to fish for votes in the Semenyih by-election, says Najib Razak.

The former prime minister today said Pakatan Harapan’s plan was primarily aimed at securing votes in the polls next week and not necessarily to fulfil a 14th general election promise.

“PH promised this to the people and they have been waiting for it, but since PH is announcing it during the Semenyih by-election campaign period, it appears as if it is simply fishing for votes,” he said on a campaign stop in Semenyih today.

“It was supposed to be abolish after the May 9 polls (last year); now it’s more than nine months later. The move is late by nine months, actually.”

On Thursday, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin had revealed that the government would make an important announcement on toll collection soon.

“We just discussed this in the cabinet… maybe in a day or two, a statement on tolls will be announced by the minister concerned,” he had said at a by-election rally in Batu 26, Beranang.

Today, DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo, however, insisted the announcement on highway tolls was not aimed at gaining support in the by-election and that it would involve tolls nationwide.

Today marks the seventh day of the Semenyih by-election campaign, for which residents will go to the ballot box on March 2.

In December last year, Works Minister Baru Bian had said his ministry would come up with a plan to reduce toll charges by May.

“The analysis will include short, medium and long-term recommendations on how to reduce the toll charges,” Baru had said.

Pakatan Harapan in its GE14 manifesto had promised to gradually abolish tolls. 

Baru’s remarks had followed Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s announcement on December 27 that toll rates would not be raised and motorcyclists need no longer pay toll on three highways starting January 1 this year.

Lim had said that the toll rates would be unchanged and applied to all vehicle classes in 21 highways nationwide, including to buses in eight highways.

The statement had also said the Finance Ministry would present other details on a proposed new toll method at the right time. – February 23, 2019.