Lim Guan Eng vs Nor Mohd Yakcop - Toll debate in Tasik Gelugor. Ada beranikah...

Penang Pakatan Rakyat Youth secretariat is organising a debate between Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nor Mohamed Yakcop on Pakatan's aim to abolishing tolls on highways in the country.

To show its courage in defending the argument that highway tolls should be abolished for the benefit of the rakyat, Pakatan has chosen Umno's stronghold of Tasek Gelugor to hold the debate.

Nor Mohamed is the MP for Tasek Gelugor.

The Youth wing has proposed that the debate be held on Feb 29 at the Dewan Besar MPSP, Sungai Dua, Tasek Gelugor.

"This is to show Nor Mohamed that Pakatan has never been afraid to expose truth and will defend the rakyat, even in BN's stronghold," debate organiser Syed Mikael Rizal Aidid said today.

Pakatan made the proposal on abolishing highway tolls after realising "the madness" of the move to collect toll on Plus, the North-South Expressway, until 2038. Lim previously agreed to debate with Nor Mohamed on the topic, but the minister did not respond to the offer.

Syed Mikael, who is state PKR deputy youth chief, old a press conference that the topic would cover the possibility of Malaysia becoming bankrupt if highway toll collections were abolished.

He said highway tolls were created to settle the payment for construction and upgrading costs, and should not be collected for purposes other than those.

Madness to enrich PLUS 

Defending the collection of tolls by profitable concessionaires when the rakyat faces a hike in cost of living is not an appropriate thing to do, he added.

This was made worse when the rakyat learned that Plus, the longest highway in Malaysia, has collected about 308 percent in profit," Syed Mikael (left) said.

"This is equivalent to RM18 billion net profit, after deducting the cost of the original project, which was only RM5 billion.

"This is no longer a question of politics, when the rakyat is squeezed to enrich Plus until 2038. This is madness," he added.

"Is it fair for millions of citizens to suffer just because Umno-BN failed to administer the country with trustworthiness?"

The debate idea came about after the profits earned by toll operators as at 2010 were revealed in Parliament last year.

According to Lim, who is also the DAP secretary-general, at least six highways should stop charging for toll.These include...

1. Lebuhraya Metramac (RM45 million for construction cost, RM440 million earned from toll collection, RM395 million in profits, 877 percent in returns); 

2. North-South Expressway (cost - RM5 billion, toll - RM24.3 billion, profit - RM18.3 billion, 308 percent returns); and 

3.Karak Highway (cost - RM452 million, toll - RM1.362 billion, profit - RM912 million, 202 percent returns).

Pakatan sedia berdebat isu tol di kubu UMNO,Tasik Gelugor...

Sekretariat pemuda Pakatan Rakyat Pulau Pinang akan menganjurkan debat di antara Ketua Menteri Lim Guan Eng dan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop berhubung matlamat pembangkang untuk menghapuskan tol di lebuh raya di negara ini.

Bagi membuktikan kesungguhan mereka mempertahankan hujah bahawa tol di lebuh raya perlu dimansuhkan untuk faedah rakyat, Pakatan memilih kubu kuat Umno Tasek Gelugor untuk dijadikan gelanggang perdebatan.

Nor Mohamed juga adalah ahli parlimen Tasek Gelugor.

Pemuda Pakatan juga mencadangkan supaya perbahasan berkenaan diadakan pada 29 Februari ini di Dewan Besar MPSP, Sungai Dua, Tasek Gelugor.

“Ini adalah untuk menunjukkan pada beliau dan rakyat, bahawa pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat tidak pernah gentar untuk mendedahkan kebenaran dan membela nasib rakyat hatta di lubuk BN itu sendiri.

“Pihak kami juga bersyukur dan rasa memadai andai debat ini hanya disaksikan oleh ribuan rakyat Pulau Pinang walau kita percaya ia tidak akan disiar di media televisyen arus perdana,” kata penganjur perbahasan itu, Syed Mikael Rizal Aidid hari ini.

Pakatan mencadangkan supaya tol di lebuh raya dihapuskan selepas menyedari konsensi mengutip tol di Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (PLUS) hanya akan berakhir sehingga 2038.

“Ini bukan soal politik lagi, bila rakyat diperah untuk mengayakan PLUS sehingga konsesi tamat pada tahun 2038!

“Ini sudah gila!” katanya.

Lim sebelum ini telah memberikan persetujuan untuk hadir berdebat tetapi Nor Mohamed sebaliknya membuat memberikan sebarang reaksi berhubung cadangan berkenaan.
Syed Mikael yang juga timbalan ketua Pemuda PKR Pulau Pinang pada sidang akbarnya berkata perdebatan itu juga akan menyentuh mengenai dakwaan kemungkinan Malaysia menjadi bankrap jika kutipan tol dimansuhkan.

Beliau berkata, kutipan tol di lebuh raya diwujudkan dengan tujuan membiayai kos pembinaan dan proses-proses penambahbaikan lebuhraya tetapi sebaliknya sekarang hanya untuk kepentingan pihak tertentu.

“Jika selain tujuan asal ini, tindakan untuk mempertahankan kutipan tol di saat rakyat menderita dengan kos hidup yang semakin membelit, adalah tindakan yang  sangat tidak wajar.

“Ini ditambah buruk, bila rakyat mengetahui bahawa projek lebuhraya terpanjang di Malaysia, Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan (PLUS) kini telah mengaut keuntungan sebanyak 308 peratus bersamaan dengan keuntungan RM18 bilion bersih, selepas ditolak kos asal projek sebanyak RM5 bilion!” katanya.

Menurut Syed Mikael, adalah tidak adil apabila rakyat yang melarat terus ditekan, hanya kerana kegagalan Umno dan BN mentadbir negara ini dengan amanah?

source:malaysiakini

cheers.