Paying for the BN fumble - in not excluding toll for Public busses, etc

Toll charges for buses slashed

Toll charges for buses to cut by 50 percent for the next two years. The government will spend RM45 million to compensate toll operators for this. - Malaysiakini, 29/8/2008 -Budget 2009: Salient points

The problem is the toll agreements that the Government entered with the toll operators - for it seems to be very much in favour of them toll operators - and the people suffer and suffer because of this. There was no transparency ...and even today, there is still no transparency with regard to them toll-agreements. It must be made public. There must be accountability. This is what we want.

The government cuts toll charges for busses -- but really this should have been an aspect of the toll agreement in the first place.

The agreement should have been that there will be no toll charges for public busses, taxis, other public transport vehicles, motorcycles, government vehicles-police, health, etc...

Now, the government ends up having to pay toll operators RM45 million so that busses only can enjoy 50% rates.

This RM45 million could have and should have been used to improve roads and public transport generally - now the Toll Operators get this money...they never lose.

And, how much is being allocated to improve public transport --- an interesting RM35 billion.

The problem with the BN government is that half of this may enter pockets of persons, and then the rest of it will be given to selected ...."government-linked" or "Minister/PM/DPM linked companies" who over-charges. We shall see...we shall see

To improve public transportation, the government has allocated RM35 billion in the next five years. - Malaysiakini, 29/8/2008 -Budget 2009: Salient points

The first think that has to be done is for the PM's son to have no more relationship with SCOMI and/or their related companies.... and SCOMI's involvement in public transportation in certain areas must be reviewed and posibly ended. In fact the PM, his family, his in-laws, (so too with his DPM, Minisiters, MPs and ADUN) should have no links whatsoever with the companies that get these public tranport projects...

Or, will we still be seeing a big portion of that billions allocated just going to them again...

Yang Berhormat Dato' Bung Mokhtar Radin (Ahli Parlimen Kinabatangan) telah bertanya dalam Dewan Rakyat berkenaan 1000 lebih bas milik Rapid KL yang tersadai dan tidak diguna.

Bas-bas ini dikatakan asalnya milik Intrakota dan City Liner yang telah diambilalih oleh Rapid KL yang dipercayai adalah milik Khazanah. Bas-bas ini masih boleh diguna atau boleh diperbaiki dan dijual oleh Rapid KL.

Tetapi Rapid KL tidak berusaha bersungguh-sungguh untuk mendapat balik sedikit pun daripada kos pembelian syarikat-syarikat ini.

Kenapa?

Kenapa?

Apakah Rapid KL begitu untung dan boleh tanggung rugi yang tidak kecil daripada menjadikan bas-bas yang dibeli olehnya sebagai besi buruk?

Rapid KL terkenal dengan jumlah besar bas baru yang dimilikinya. Umum tahu yang bas-bas ini kerap kosong. Oleh kerana ia adalah GLC dan melibatkan wang rakyat sepatutnya untung-ruginya diumumkan kepada orang ramai. Tetapi kita tidak pernah melihat kira-kira untung ruginya. Untung besarkah RapidKL dan Khazanah?

Kita bangga dengan design bas-bas yang dimiliki oleh Rapid KL. Ia amat moden. Saya ingin tahu siapakah yang membekal bas-bas ini. Saya percaya pembekal bas-bas ini meraih keuntungan yang besar kerana begitu banyak bas yang jelas dibeli oleh Rapid KL. Mungkinkah pelupusan dan write-off begitu banyak bas-bas lama adalah supaya bas baru dapat dibeli daripada pembekal tertentu? Jika ya, nampaknya Rapid KL diadakan untuk menguntungkan pembekal. Apakah adanya Rapid-Penang juga tidak mempunyai tujuan yang sama?

Apakah benar pembekal bas Rapid KL dan Rapid Penang ialah M-Trans yang dimiliki 100% oleh Scomi yang dimiliki oleh sipolan-sipolan yang mempunyai talian kekeluargaan dengan pemimpin besar negara?

Katanya pesanan untuk bas baru oleh Rapid KL adalah begitu banyak sehingga Scomi tidak dapat membinanya. Oleh itu Scomi dibenar import bas dari China. Apakah harga import dan harga jualan kepada Rapid KL? Apakah syarikat lain dibenar import bas baru dari luar negeri? Apakah duti import yang dibayar?

Disiarkan gambar-gambar Scomi Coach Sdn Bhd (dahulu dikenali sebagai M-Trans Sdn Bhd) yang berada di tempat yang sama dengan Scomi Rail Bhd (dahulu dikenali sebagai M-Trans Technology Sdn Bhd)

Penceroboh boleh ditembak

Bas-bas Rapid KL yang tersadai

Bas-bas baru Rapid KL yang sedang dibina di kilang Scomi

Kita juga dengar khabar angin bahawa Scomi juga dapat kontrak membekal unit-unit monorel untuk projek monorel di Pulau Pinang. Sekali lagi Scomi hanya akan membekal unit monorel sahaja dan tidak akan terlibat dengan pembangunan dan pengurusan sistem monorel di Pulau Pinang. Umum tahu pembangunan dan pengurusan tidak memberi keuntungan. Menjual unit monorel tetap untung terutama jika tidak ada tender atau tender di buat dengan spesifikasi yang hanya jenis unit monorel Scomi sahaja yang boleh menepatinya.

(Disiarkan dibawah gambar yang menunjuk rel untuk percubaan unit monorel yang terdapat di kilang Scomi Rail Bhd)

Rel untuk test unit. Dibelakang terlihat satu unit monorel di atas test-rail

Papan kenyataan Scomi Coach Sdn Bhd dan Scomi Rail Bhd

Source: chedet.com., posting entitled Rapid KL

I believe, when they started these toll highways, the BN government promised Malaysians that they will not only maintain the existing toll-free roads but will up-grade it all to 2-lane roads - but alas that seems not to have happened.

There are many places, where there is no real reasonable option but to pay the toll and use them toll-highways/roads. More often than not, it is also not smooth easy driving on these "private" roads because of road-works, etc..

Have these toll operators and road builders not been adequately compensated by the timber they exploited - by the land they obtained - by the control of even the food/drink outlets, petrol stations, etc..? Or, do they control it or not -- we do not know because we cannot see that Agreements...

How much did it cost to build the roads? How much have they been paid & collected through the toll payments? In fact, normally toll rates go down --- not up - but in Malaysia, it just goes up.

I believe Pakatan Rakyat promised the abolition of tolls -- or will they now say they never really did.

And when they cease power, the excuses will start to flow....and the people may end up continuing to pay tolls...

After September 16, hopefully we will have changes...not just of government BUT of a lot of things for the better.