Amiruddin: Pakatan has special section to monitor manifesto

BANGI, Feb 24 — Pakatan Harapan (PH) now has a special section to monitor its manifesto to ensure it is not merely aimed at winning the people’s heart during the 14th general election (GE-14), said deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah.

He said the section was created because Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also PH chairman, was very concerned with the promises in the PH manifesto.

‘‘The GE-14 manifesto was drawn up with limited facts because at that time (before PH became the ruling government) there were facts that had no public domain. So, when PH became the ruling government, all manifestos are forced to be reformulated with other versions after all data and facts have been examined other than examining the new constraints that arise,” he said when asked to comment on the negotiations which the government had started with Gamuda Berhad to take over the concessions of four highways in which the company had majority shares.

Amiruddin was met after closing the Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) Ex-Student Association (Ansara) Sports Carnival at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia here today.

Commenting further on discussions with Gamuda Berhad, Amiruddin said among the items touched upon in the discussions were compensations and the maintenance aspects when tolls were no longer imposed on the consumers at a certain time.

“All these must be scrutinised. They will be announced when the time comes. When everything is in order,” he said.

Asked on the possibility the announcement of discount and abolishing of toll at a certain period, which was made yesterday, could be implemented this year, Amiruddin answered: ‘‘Do pray a lot.” 

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday, Dr Mahathir said the government aspired to abolish the existing toll mechanism when it was successful in taking over the four highways.

The four highways were Damansara Puchong Expressway, the Western KL Traffic Disperal System, Shah Alam Expressway and SMART Tunnel. 

In the same statement, the Prime Minister explained that PH had promised in its general election manifesto to take over the highway concessions and abolish toll collections in stages according to the conditions of the concession agreements.

As replacement, a congestion charge would be introduced whereby consumers would be made to pay the same rate as the existing tolls during peak period for six hours a day.

The off-peak period was between 11pm and 5am, and the use of the highways would be free. For use of the highways during normal time, consumers would enjoy a 30 per cent discount compared to the existing tolls. — Bernama