GAMUDA Bhd should be fairly compensated following the government’s decision to take over four tolled highways, given that the firm is owned by the people via stakes in institutional funds, said former prime minister Najib Razak.

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH), Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), Amanah Sahan Bumiputera (ASB) and Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP) are shareholders of the blue-chip company.

Najib said the government should ensure that Kuala Lumpur folk do not benefit at the expense of EPF, LTH, PNB, ASB and KWAP contributors in other states.

“Contributors to these funds from outside Kuala Lumpur should not be penalised and forced to subsidise the residents of Kuala Lumpur,” he said in a Facebook post.

“The government should ensure that Gamuda is fairly compensated, as the company is owned by the people through EPF, LTH, PNB, ASB, KWAP and many more.”

He said when he was in office, the Barisan Nasional government abolished the Cheras-Kajang highway toll for the benefit of Semenyih residents.

At the end of 2017, the BN administration did away with the Batu Tiga toll in Shah Alam, Sg Rasau (Selangor), Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah) and Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) (Johor).

Najib said compared with BN’s moves then, the Pakatan Harapan government now is merely limiting the toll-free period.

“BN abolished the tolls despite not making a promise to do so for the sake of elections.”

Despite this, he said, the previous government was accused of catering to crony companies.

“Detractors said BN was trying to enrich its cronies, whereas PLUS, which belongs to the government, was the 51% stakeholder in three of the four tolls. MRCB, which owned EDL, had EPF as its majority shareholder.”

The Prime Minister’s Office yesterday said the government plans to take over four tolled highways – Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong, Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat, Lebuhraya Shah Alam and the SMART Tunnel – and replace tolls with a congestion charge, which will vary between peak and non-peak hours.

“Upon the successful takeover of the highways, the government intends to abolish the existing toll mechanism.

“In its place, a congestion charge will be introduced, where commuters will pay only a congestion charge equivalent to the existing toll for six peak-period hours a day.”

During the off-peak period, between 11pm and 5am, commuters will get to use the highways for free. – February 24, 2019.