Media Statement by Johor DAP Policy Director and Senai State Assemblyperson Wong Shu Qi on 24th December 2014 (Wednesday):

 

Johor State Government should ask for at least 50% revenue from VEP to invest in local public transportation service or reject the proposal downright

 

In my last debate with Datuk Khairul Anwar and Hahasrin Hashim held in September, I clearly stated that we are not against the Vehicle Entry Permit system, but the government must be clear with the intention of implementing the system. Meanwhile, Johor State Government should demand for at least half of the revenue of VEP, otherwise, we Johorian should reject the proposal downright.

 

Since Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi has made an announcement that the VEP will be implemented next June, it is also time for federal government to clear the doubts regarding their intentions to implement the VEP.

 

As I said earlier, we support VEP on the basis of national and social security while the charge should be seen only as extra revenue. In addition, the extra revenue should be used for local development, as the VEP would affect local economy directly.

 

Therefore, I call upon Johor State Government to reject the VEP downright if federal government is not going to give at least 50% of the revenue to the State Government. We must remember that Malaysia is a federation and not a unitary state.

 

Besides that, both federal government and state government should also make it public on how they are planning to use the extra revenue. With the current traffic that chokes at both Second Link and Causeway everyday, the governments should first use it to improve the traffic congestion problem and the efficiency of customs.

 

We must reduce the time that Malaysian workers spend at crossing the bridges and immigration clearance. These are the most basic things that government should do to improve the quality of life for more than 200,000 Malaysians working in Singapore.

 

I’m disappointed that neither federal government nor the state government dare to require the MRCB to provide RM 1 million for free shuttle bus at Causeway with its huge collection from EDL every month.

 

Hence, governments must take the responsibility itself to improve the public transportation system.

 

If one of the reason to implement VEP is to reduce congestion at JB downtown, governments must prepare public transportation that fully covers our state, especially tourism spots, so the interest of local businesses will not be jeopardized.

 

Wong Shu Qi