Toll Increase.......Again!

Updated 28/02/09 : It seems after yesterday's encouraging remark from PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to get cabinet to review the toll hikes, the toll hikes have been postponed till end of 2009 but as informed by Anil, this might not be a good thing as it is just a delayed catastrophe, read more on Anil blog.
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Original posting : One would get all frustrated and grumbling when they hear this news over the radio and TV, I was one of them and I bet many more Malaysians will re-act the same. I would thought, with the current economic downturn and so many people losted their jobs and many more will be losing their jobs, the government will try to avoid anymore hikes in our common people daily lives, but not the Malaysian government aka BN, as explained by Datuk Ir Mohamad Zin Mohamad who is the Works Minister that this is a small increase and people should not complain because we are getting first class roads and conveniences. Here are the price increase as given by Malaysiakini :
"Kadar kenaikan tol terbabit adalah seperti berikut:

Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (Plus): Kadar kenaikan tol untuk sistem kutipan tol tertutup Plus dinaikkan 0.68 sen sekilometer bagi kereta. Bagaimanapun, kenaikan ini tidak membabitkan tol di Plaza Tol Bukit Kayu Hitam, Tambak Johor dan Bangunan Sultan Iskandar.

Lebuhraya Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat (Sprint). Plaza tol Pantai: naik 50 sen dari RM1.50 kepada RM2 (naik 33) dan Plaza tol Damansara: naik 30 sen dari RM1 kepada RM1.30 (naik 30%).

Lebuhraya Bertingkat Ampang-Kuala Lumpur (Akleh)(Lebuhraya E12): Kadar tol dinaikkan sebanyak 50 sen bagi kereta - dari RM1.50 hingga RM2 (naik 33%).

Kadar tol Lebuhraya Sungai Besi (Besraya): Kadar tol dinaikkan sebanyak 10 sen bagi kereta - dari RM1.30 kepada RM1.40 (naik 7.7%). Bayaran hanya dibuat di Plaza Tol Mines kerana Tol Salak Selatan Jaya telah ditutup mulai semalam.

Lebuhraya Baru Pantai (NPE): Kadar tol dinaikkan sebanyak 40 sen bagi kereta - dari RM1.60 kepada RM2 (naik 25%). "

The increase range from RM0.10 to RM0.50, with 5% increase for using the North-South Expressway and our Works Minister says it is a small and negligible increase. He seem to forget that all of us does not just pass thru one of these tolls only, most of us will be crossing from one toll to another and if one way to work increases by RM1, we will be paying additional RM2 to go to work. If we use a 25 working day, this translate to another additional RM50/month. If our incomes are able to increase, then I think most of us will not feel the pinch but most companies are cutting back on staff and also salaries, so how to cope Mr.Minister! Think lah! What I cannot tahan is the Minister make it sound as if we getting the long end of the stick, but in truth, the people are getting the short end of the stick. Mr.Minister, if you really want to benefit the rakyat, resolves the jam along these highways during peak hours first! If you can do that, at least the rakyat knows they are paying higher tolls to avoid jams! Instead, we are paying higher tolls to get into jams after jams!

I just found out that apparently, the government is paying Putrajaya Holdings about RM6Mil(there about lah) per year for rental and maintenance of PM's residence in Putrajaya! Don't you think that is a little to excessive and don't you think with the money saved from these rental, it can help the "rakyat" cover these tolls hikes?

Countries all over the world are trying their best to help their citizens, but only in Malaysia, they suck you dry when you are down! Malaysia Boleh!

Walk The Talk

Datuk Dr Zambry wishes that people in Perak would forgive Jelapang assemblywoman Hee Yit Fong and to give her a chance to serve the people. Datuk Dr Zambry further says that it is getting to a life threatening state and it is very undemocratic. Huh?????
First of all, being a layman, the term democratic to me means doing things openly, fairly and voices of the mass chooses the day. If I am not mistaken, assemblywoman Hee was given that during 08/03 GE and she was given the trust by the people of Jelapang area and Perakians. Now, she betrayed that trust that was given by the people to her and she expects people to just forgive her overnight? Lastly, Datuk Dr Zambry, before you start preaching about practicing democracy, go and look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself truthfully, are you and BN democratically elected by the people of Perak(without a reasonable doubt) to be the State government or were you appointed by the Sultans using technicalities.?
Now, if you really practice what you preach, you should walk the talk now and call for a State Elections and trully let the Perakians vote and choose their State government. That is democracy!

First Blood

MACC drew the first blood with MB of Selangor and it started more than a week ago and MACC is still on Selangor's MB back and have been barking and biting with such tenacity just like a mad dog. It seems that the Selangor MB has had enough of this endless threat of being charged and is fighting back. The MB is probing into certain transactions dated back to 2007 by Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd(PNSB) which at that time was under ex-MB Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. The board of directors of PNSB ordered 2 top official in PNSB to go under paid leave for 1 month so that the investigation can proceed without interference. The 2 officials are CEO Datin Khairiyah Abu Hassan and finance manager(who is also Selangor Puteri Umno chief), Nora Azmin Radzuan.
The 1st issue brought to light is the purchase of apartment units in Mecca that cost more than RM17M in 2007 without the approval of board of directors. Then there was also a "gift" worth more than RM150K in the form of a watch that was recorded as gratitude to then MB of Selangor Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo but was returned. The watch was later sold off for the same purchase amount and there is suspision that this is all for accounts manupilations and a probe has been initiated on it. The 3rd issue was apparently there were perks and bonuses given out to top officials but not declared to Inland Revenue Bhd.
It looks like more drama or dirt will be uncovered in the coming weeks and it seems like MACC just opened a can of worms on behalf of BN.

Year of "By-Elections"

It's been a few months now since my last post as I have been rather busy in the home front. Furthermore, not much has been happening that needed ranting other than what has happened in Perak and YB Eli but since so many other blogs have had that issue and I myself have been ranting and giving my 2 cents worth in those blogs, I decided not to write my own.
Well, that is until today. It seems like BN's MP are dying off one after another(so is PR) and we have another by-election on the way in Sarawak, Batang Ai to be exact. It all started from Kedah, then in Perak, next was Selangor where YB Eli became PR first political victim(except for Selangor where it did not concern about dying MP's) and the latest one now is from Sarawak. At the rate things are going, we might as well have a snap election all over again!
I am pretty sure if YB Eli really resigns(at current state, her resignation is not accepted yet) and a by-elections really takes place in Bukit Lanjan(Selangor), people in the Bandar Utama area will still vote for PKR(PR), including me and I am pretty sure too that PR will retain Bukit Lanjan and maybe with even more votes this time around.
Anyway, in a couple more days, our DPM Najib will be PM and I am all eyes and ears to see and listen to what he has to offer.