A former deputy transport minister has urged political parties to prioritise long-term transportation planning instead of continuing policies that freeze toll hikes or offer toll discounts.
Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said government compensation paid to toll concessionaires over the years has brought little long-term benefit to the country. He argued that such measures only provide short-term satisfaction to a small segment of the population.
“In the spirit of targeted subsidies, we should stop using public funds to compensate toll companies,” he told the New Straits Times.
Aziz pointed out that some of the toll operators receiving compensation are not even profitable. In November, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan revealed that 12 out of 33 highway concessionaires recorded losses in 2024.
The loss-making highways include the Kuala Lumpur–Putrajaya Expressway, East Coast Expressway Phase 1, Kemuning–Shah Alam Highway, Damansara–Shah Alam Elevated Expressway, Senai–Desaru Expressway, South Klang Valley Expressway, Setiawangsa–Pantai Expressway, Kajang–Seremban Expressway, Sungai Besi–Ulu Klang Elevated Expressway, the SMART Tunnel, Butterworth Outer Ring Road, West Coast Expressway and the KL–Karak Highway.
Aziz was responding to the government’s announcement that RM591.5 million would be allocated this year to freeze toll rate increases for 10 highways.
According to transport think tank MY Mobility Vision, successive governments have spent an estimated RM7.7 billion over the past decade on toll freezes and discounts.
Aziz said public funds would be better used to improve transport infrastructure, noting that demand for public transport will continue to rise alongside increasing urbanisation.
“Connectivity is crucial for driving economic growth,” he said, adding that political parties should act more responsibly by focusing on the nation’s long-term priorities rather than short-term vote gains.
