‘I am not a fan of tolls’

> Najib says he’ll abolish more in future if possible

PETALING JAYA: More tolls may be abolished in the near future if Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak ( pix) has his way.

The prime minister said he was never a fan of tolls, and pledged that toll collection would be reviewed in the coming years if the Barisan Nasional (BN) government has the means to generate enough revenue.

“My predecessor (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) was a great believer in tolls. I do not like them. Which is why the PanBorneo Highway will not have tolls.

“Now, tolls at Batu Tiga, Sungai Rasau, Bukit Kayu Hitam and the Eastern Dispersal Link have been abolished beginning this year. Wherever I can, I will abolish them, because I don’t think it’s good.

“So, if we have leftovers (from our budget), we will review more of them,” he said during a live-streamed 2018 Budget session with the rakyat at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre yesterday.

Najib said the issue of tolls was a problem created by Mahathir, and he promised to unravel more of the earlier decisions made by the former premier which he said was not in the interest of the people.

He also said he was not a believer in having the rakyat pay tolls on a daily basis, and that it would only burden road users and cause more congestion.

Najib, who is also finance minister, acknowledged that the BN government is not a perfect government, but maintained it was the right one to take the country to new heights.

He said a lot of the measures taken by the government was because it believed it could progress the country further, promising to reorganise whatever was still flawed.

“I am humble enough to admit that we have made mistakes, but we will improve. There is no government in this world that doesn’t have problems.

“But to put in perspective, we have a lot CAMBODIA going for us. God willing, we will get there.”

Najib also dispelled claims by the Opposition that the country was heading for bankruptcy, pointing out that Malaysia was the only nation alongside Singapore in Asean to be categorised as an “ACategory” country by international bodies.

“If we are a bankrupt nation, you won’t see developments taking place. We are in good hands, because we have made some rather bold decisions, and we are delivering.

“By right, people shouldn’t be complaining. But as the government, we are listening to your grouses,” he said.

Najib added that the government at times was forced to make unpopular decisions, like introducing the Goods and Services Tax, but said that they were the right ones.

On another matter, Najib said among his hardest tasks was brokering a deal with pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine for the release of the remains of nearly 300 victims of Flight MH17 in July 2014.

“I spoke to the separatist leader, and he allowed Malaysia, and only us, to go in to claim the bodies and the black box.

“It was difficult, but I told myself I must do what is best for the people, and the victims’ families. And we managed to get them out.”