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Building and maintaining roads are expensive. Nevertheless, we believe that intra-city roads in Malaysia should not be privatized and tolled.

The concession on Jalan Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, ends on 7 January, 2003, after an extension for seven years.There should not be further extension.

Meanwhile, we hope that the Government will not allow any company to continue collecting toll at the end of the period of concession for any highway within the city.

In the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Kuching has been the first privatized road. For over 20 years, we have intermittently gathered at the Jalan Kuching toll plaza to oppose intra-city toll collection. When the period of concession ended, we protested against Kamunting collecting tolls for a further 7 years.

The Government proposed to transfer the Jalan Kuching concession to another consortium on 8 January, 2003, so that the latter would carry out projects such as digging road tunnels. Many people protested. If Kamunting stops toll collection on that date, then Kuala Lumpur has one tolled road fewer temporarily.

Kamunting is holding a closing ceremony for toll collection, signifying the stoppage of one road tariff. Hence, we call on city folks who oppose intra-city toll to attend the above-mentioned ceremony as a gesture. We hope that the Government will no longer allow extension of toll collection along any highway when the concession period ends.

The Cabinet approves privatized projects including all privatized roads in the Federal Territory. If Cabinet members oppose the projects, the latter will not be privatized. If a political party in the Cabinet nods its head for any road project and then shows that it opposes this project outside the Cabinet, it behaves unfairly to the people.

 Dr Tan Seng Giaw