Athi Shankar January 28, 2012
Pakatan Rakyat pledges to be a caring federal government if it comes into power.
GEORGE TOWN: Pakatan Rakyat will abolish toll collections in the North-South highway and on Penang Bridge and it will also hand out RM1,000 annually to senior citizens, if it captures Putrajaya in the next general election.
These pledges, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Pakatan will never “run away from”.
He said people can put their faith in Pakatan’s promises. “If we capture Putrajaya, we will immediately abolish the North-South Highway toll. “We will also abolish toll collections on Penang Bridge. “We will not run away from our promises,” Lim told a cheering crowd at a Chinese New Year open house co-hosted by Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer and Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh.
Also present were state executive councillor Phee Boon Poh and Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi Chuan Aun.
Karpal was however, absent due to a prior engagement.
Lim said while Pakatan will abolish toll collections on road which were already enjoying huge profits, it will retain concessions in other areas.
Lim, who is Penang Chief Minister, pointed out that PLUS had collected RM24.3. billion in toll collections on the North-South Highway, which was built on a RM6 billion budget.
“Cut-throat” BN government
Lim said given that PLUS had raked in a RM18.3 billion profit, it was now time to abolish it.
He slammed the Barisan Nasional federal government’s plans to increase current toll rates and continue its collections for years to come.
He said the people must be ready for change to stop the ‘cut throat’ toll collections of BN and PLUS.
Lim called on the people to vote for Pakatan if they wanted to want tolls to be abolished.
“BN said it cannot be done. Yes it cannot be done if it is BN. “But under Pakatan, it can be done,” he promised.
Lim, who is Bagan MP, said Pakatan would also gift RM1,000 cash yearly to all senior citizens, regardless of their race, religion or political backgrounds.
He said Pakatan would not discriminate against senior citizens, even if they were from Gerakan or MCA. “We will even hand out the cash to Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon if he wants it too,” Lim said.
He also said that Penang aims to be the cleanest, greenest and safest state in the country and his government would work hard to achieve the goals.
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