‘Opposition’s plan to abolish toll will lead to RM380b debt’

KUALA LIPIS: The opposition’s 14th General Election manifesto to abolish toll collection is a populist approach to win the people’s votes. It will only result in the country incurring debts of about RM380 billion, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.

Describing the manifesto as unrealistic, Najib said the opposition had forgotten that every single success and development in the country was not achieved easily.

“How can the opposition say that it wants to abolish toll collection when it was ‘that person’ who had introduced it? I call the person ‘father of all tolls’ for introducing it during his time. Just imagine what will happen if the country’s debts surge to RM380 billion.

“Furthermore, not a single international rating agency has recognised the opposition’s manifesto. In fact, some said if implemented, the manifesto would jeopardise the country’s economy. This means their manifesto is not inclusive, unlike what we are offering to the people,” he said before launching a section of the Central Spine Road here yesterday.

Najib said after Barisan Nasional launched its manifesto, the local stock exchange responded positively by consistently trading higher.

This, he said, was one of the reasons why Malaysia was seen as a model country.