Press Statement By Caretaker Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 15.4.2018.
Penang Barisan Nasional chairman Teng Chang Yeow should not lie about Pakatan Harapan manifesto about our promise to abolish higway tolls in phases. Naturally the first highway tolls to be abolished are those highways where toll collections have exceeded combined capital investment (construction expenditure, maintenance and operating costs).
Nationally, the North-South Highway should be amongst the first highways to have their toll abolished as toll collections has far exceeded combined capital investment. And yet toll collection continues until 2038. As for Penang, the highways tolls to be abolished first are those such as the Sungai Nyior toll and the First Penang Bridge.
Teng should stop lying about our Pakatan manifesto on abolishing tolls but explain why has BN not abolished toll collection on the First Penang Bridge? This is a classic case of the “guilty party accusing others of the wrongdoing” or “the thief shouting thief”.
It is a great injustice that toll collections on the First Penang Bridge have exceeded more than RM1.7 billion, far exceeding the combined capital investment of RM1.5 billion, and yet the concessionaire can collect up to 2038. In other words the toll operator is blindly making clean profits on the First Penang Bridge until 2038, at the expense of consumers, even though they have got back every single cent of their investment.
As for the 2nd Penang Bridge, toll collections are still insufficient to cover the combined capital expenditure. Therefore the 2nd Penang Bridge will not be amongst the first highways to have their tolls abolished when Pakatan takes over. Tolls on the 2nd Penang Bridge will be abolished eventually after the first batch of highways have their tolls abolished. This is consistent with our Pakatan manifesto.
Pakatan is responsible in displaying a prudent economic approach and Pakatan makes promises that we can deliver. Pakatan will not make empty populist promises that will make the country go bankrupt because unlike BN, Pakatan refuses to buy the general election.
Teng contradicts himself when he asks why I pledged to abolish the toll for the First Penang Bridge but not the second one. After attacking me for not abolishing toll on the 2nd Bridge, he asks who will use the 2nd Penang Bridge after the tolls on the first Penang Bridge is abolished.
Teng should realise that the usage of the First or 2nd Penang Bridge is determined both by distance and location of where journey begin and the intended destination. Despite the higher toll in the 2nd Penang Bridge as compared to the 1st Penang Bridge, many still use the 2nd Bridge for those in Seberang Perai Selatan and going to the South-West District area in the island. There will still be people using the 2nd Penang Bridge even if tolls in the first Penang Bridge is abolished.
Why is Teng stubbornly supporting the unjust collection of tolls on the First Penang Bridge? Teng is more concerned about protecting BN’s private political interest than public interest by refusing to support the abolition of toll collections on the First Penang Bridge. The people shall decide on 9th May, whether abolition of toll collections in the First Penang Bridge for all vehicles is better or only the abolition of tolls for motocycles.
LIM GUAN ENG
—-Mandarin Version —
看守槟州首席部长林冠英于2018年4月15日在乔治市光大发表文告：
为何邓章耀仍支持槟城第一大桥不公平的收费？
槟州国阵主席邓章耀不该对希望联盟分阶段废除大道收费的竞选宣言谎言连篇。谈到废除，当然指的是那些已经收取超过合并资本投资（建设支出、维护和运营成本）的大道。
在国内，要废除收费的第一个大道非南北大道莫属，事缘它已收取了超过其合并资本投资，但仍获准向民众收费至2038年。而在槟城，先要被拆除的收费站，则是双溪育以及槟城第一大桥。
邓章耀委实不该对希望联盟的废除收费站之宣言谎话连篇，反之，他应解释为何国阵不废除槟城第一大桥的收费？这根本就是典型的“贼喊抓贼”，干了坏事要脱罪，就转移目标来指责别人。
槟城第一大桥已经收取超过了17亿令吉的过路费，远远超过15亿令吉的合计资本投资，而特许公司却还可以继续收费至2038，这是非常不公平的。换句话说，有关公司接下来可以轻轻松松爽赚到2038年，因为他们早已经回收投资在槟城第一大桥的每一分钱。
至于槟城第二大桥，目前其收费仍不足以支付合并资本支出。因此，第二大桥不会成为希盟在接管后，首批被废除收费的大道之一。在第一批大道取消收费后，槟城第二大桥的收费将最终将会被取消。这与我们的希盟宣言是一致的。
希盟有责任制定一个审慎的经济方针，我们也承诺最终可以实践之。希盟不会许下空洞且民粹主义的承诺来让国家破产。我们与国阵不一样，希盟拒绝收买大选。
邓章耀矛盾地问我，为何只承诺废除槟城第一大桥收费，而没有把第二大桥的收费也一并废除？他攻击我没有取消二桥的收费后，又问在一桥取消过路费后，谁会来用二桥？
邓章耀应该意识到，人们要用槟城第一大桥还是第二大桥？取决于哪个比较近，会比较方便到他们想到的目的地。尽管二桥的收费比一桥高，但还是有很多威南的民众和要去槟岛西南区者使用二桥。所以，即便一桥的过路费被取消了，二桥还是有人使用的。
为何邓章耀仍固执地支持槟城第一大桥不公平的收费？邓章耀不愿见到取消一桥的收费，看起来更关心保障国阵自身的政治利益大于民众的利益。无论如何，5月9日当天，民众会以选票来决定，到底是要所有交通工具使用第一大桥时都不用付费，还是只要摩托车不必付费。
林冠英