Toll: Anwar should have stood his ground

Leven Woon, FMT

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim should admit that he never protested against the highway toll concessions when he was in the government in the 1990s, said MCA vice president Chua Tee Yong

He said if  Anwar, the then deputy prime minister and finance minister, was truly against the concessions, he should have fought for his case.

“He should have lashed out at Tun Dr Mahathir or resigned like (former Minister in the Prime Minister Department) Zaid Ibrahim.

“I thank Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin for admitting that Anwar did play a role in these concession agreements,” he said in a statement.

In conjunction with the impending highway toll hikes beginning next year, Chua raised the issue and blamed Anwar for approving 10 highway projects during his tenure in the government.

“Most of the highway concessions – 10 to 12 of them – were approved between 1991 and 1998. During this time, who was our finance minister? Anwar. So the one who signed it and burdening us is not a BN leader,” he said in his maiden speech as MCA vice president last Saturday.

In reply, PKR’s Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin said Anwar only played a role as a administator  because all highway concessions came under the purview of Economic Planning Unit.

PKR’s Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin also said Chua has found the wrong target, because the latter should have demanded the BN government to review the hike.

“Don’t behave like a loyal pet”

Chua responded that MCA ministers have proposed at cabinet meetings for the government to restructure highway concessions.

“Subsequently there was also a presentation to the government and in 2001, PLUS was restructured where compensation in billions was also waived and toll hike restructured. Thus MCA is not just all talk.”said.

He said in comparison, Anwar has told the international media that there would be a change of government on Sept 16, 2008 and claimed about the presence of 40,000 Bangladeshi voters in the recent general election.

“He said he would also retire if he did not succeed. Are all these announcements true and fulfilled?

“Hence in seeking popularity and trying to defend their master like a loyal pet, PKR MPs have forgotten that they had promised to abolish toll in the past.

“However, nothing was mentioned and all was forgotten in their recent alternative budget,” he said.