UMNO/BN government must clarify if the EDL toll hike is a retaliation towards Singapore VEP hike
It’s very irresponsible that certain UMNO leaders do not know how to differentiate or purposely mislead public on Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) which will only charge foreign-registered vehicles, and the recent toll hike at EDL which affects all commuters including Malaysians who are driving Malaysia-registered vehicles.
EDL toll charge is clearly not VEP and shouldn’t be seen as VEP because EDL toll charges all commuters including Malaysians who use CIQ.
Firstly, the toll charge is unreasonable. Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) is an expressway which was built by MRCB while EPF and Tabung Haji control 38.87% and 8.85% shares respectively. Moreover, UMNO/BN did promise in last general election that EDL would be free of charge.
The expressway that extends from North-South Expressway to Johor Bahru CIQ complex is clearly built with our own Malaysian taxpayers’ money. However, road users are still required to pay the toll. Therefore, UMNO/BN government must explain if this is another “janji dicapati”.
Secondly, the toll charge is collected at CIQ complex while a lot of payers are not using EDL but the Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, a state road which links from city centre to CIQ complex.
It’s again unreasonable to charge CIQ users unless that is not EDL toll charge but CIQ charge. Therefore, whoever use the CIQ will be charged regardless their nationality and vehicles except motorcyclist.
UMNO/BN government must clarify if the EDL toll hike a retaliation towards Singapore VEP hike.
If UMNO/BN government reckons that we have to charge Singapore-registered vehicles who use our facilities without paying any tax or payment to Malaysian authorities, the policy they should implement is VEP which is imposed only on foreign-registered vehicles.
With current toll hike at EDL, government and its crony are robbing own people from reducing their monthly disposable income.
Besides that, both Malaysian and Singapore government should meet immediately to resolve the VEP hike and toll hike issues that eventually affect our economy, especially investments in Iskandar region. It’s a bad precedent if one of the countries was kept in dark on the border’s issue that affects both until it was announced publicly. Both Singapore and Malaysia federal government must explain if they have had comprehensive discussion over the border traffic issue.
Wong Shu Qi