Government’s New Year present

The government plans to give all of us a New Year present! Beginning Jan 1 toll rates for five major highways will be raised.

That’s not new, I know. Our ministers have been talking about it for some months now just to prepare us for the hike. But the real news is the amount of the hike that is going to hit our pockets.

Reuters carried a sourced-story today saying that the toll rates will go up as high as 60 percent - that is the government’s New Year present for us.

Sources also told malaysiakini that this steep increase will affect the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP).

The other highways - Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP), Guthrie Corridor Expressway, Kesas-Shah Alam Highway, Karak Highway and Grand Saga Cheras-Kajang Highway - will see an increase of 10 percent.

An official announcement is expected tomorrow.

I see public resentment against Pak Lah’s government just multiplying next year.

The government too must have sensed that. Otherwise they would not have had a secret briefing for all editors of local media (excluding malaysiakini), asking them to tone down their reports on any ruckus from the grassroots over the hike.

State media may be silenced but how do you keep the public from showing their anger on the ground?