KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — The government will reduce highway toll charges in phases and eventually eliminate these entirely, said a source.
The Star reported the unnamed person as saying the plan was under a review that will be completed no earlier than June.
“It was agreed that tolls would be abolished over time but it will be phase by phase, not immediately,” the source said.
The Cabinet will then decide on the toll rates after the review is presented, said Works Minister Baru Bian.
The minister also said one or possibly two concessionaires may offer rebates until an announcement is made.
“In fact, we are looking at it at the short term, medium term and long term. There are some proposals that are feasible and can be implemented in the immediate future for the short term.
“These are the things I think Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin) was referring to. Not the whole subject matter of tolls,” he was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Home Minister Muhyiddin let out while on the Semenyih by-election campaign trail this week that the government will announce lower toll rates in days.
When the media asked Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to confirm this the next day, he said he could not.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) had pledged to abolish tolls in its election manifesto, claiming it could be done for a fraction of the RM400 billion Barisan Nasional previously said it would cost.
After it won the general election, Baru told Parliament it would cost RM400 billion to abolish tolls in Malaysia.
PH then said it would de-prioritise this pledge until the public finances are stronger.
