Malaysia: Pakatan to take over highways one by one, says Azmin

• PAKATAN Harapan will take over toll concessionaires one by one, said Economic Affairs Minister Azmin Ali in reply to acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan.
• Negotiations are ongoing to take over four highways – Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP), Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat (SPRINT), Lebuhraya Shah Alam (Kesas) and the SMART Tunnel.
• Azmin also addressed Mohamad’s request that the government disclose the details as the acquisition is a matter of financial liability. “Negotiations are on the table and have just begun, so how could we disclose the details of the discussion when it has not concluded?”
• The PKR deputy president said the government is allocating a certain percentage for every ringgit the to be spent on the takeover for both debt and development.
• Azmin gave his assurance that the government’s move to take over the concessions of four highways will not affect other projects involving the people’s interests.
• Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said the takeover of highway concessions would be done according to the government’s capability.
• Putrajaya had announced that it planned to take over four tolled highways and replace tolls with a congestion charge that 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 only pay a congestion charge equivalent to the existing toll for six peak period hours a day,” the Prime Minister’s Office had said in a statement released on 23 Feb 19.
• Further details on the proposed exercise will be announced by the finance minister at the appropriate time.

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