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Last Friday, the Singapore government announced that the new toll rate for the causeway on the Singapore side will be increased from the present S$1.20 (approximately RM2.90) to the new rate of S$6.50 (approximately RM16.50) commencing from Oct 1, 2014.

This means a Malaysian-registered vehicle going in and out of Singapore via the causeway would have to pay an aggregate RM123 per trip starting from Oct 1, 2014 (RM33 toll fees plus RM90 VEP charges), a far cry from the pre Aug 1, 2014 days when the same trip would only cost RM55.80 (RM5.80 toll fees plus RM50 VEP charges).

Johoreans, still reeling from the 470 percent toll rate increase on the Malaysian side, now have to digest this nascent Singapore toll increase news with more misery and pessimism.

This toll increase will inadvertently increase the financial burden of Johoreans travelling to Singapore to work daily. Every day, 60,000 vehicles commute daily between Singapore and Johor using the causeway. Hundred thousands of Johoreans crossed the causeway daily to work in Singapore.

Not only do their travelling costs are bound to increase but even switching to public transport at this moment may not be an ideal solution, as presently the existing public transport system is ill-equipped to cope with the numbers of people going to Singapore daily. It looks like we are now paying the price for our lack of long-term foresight and planning on this issue.

Furthermore, the new toll increment might have a negative effect on our local economy as fewer Singaporeans will come in and continue spending and Malaysians working in Singapore may elect to reside in Singapore due to rising transportation costs, and this would mean one less group of people spending money in our local economy.

It is sad that what we are seeing here is an ‘eye for an eye’ tactic by both countries; unfortunately, it is the people that suffer. I have always taken the stand that our Malaysian government should not raise the toll charges at the causeway as payment for the EDL since this is unfair to non-EDL users.

And now because of the insistence of the government to allow a private company to collect toll at the causeway for the use of another highway, not only does the government not receive directly one single sen from the collection of the RM16.50 but now it has prompted the Singapore government to announce the toll hike on their side as well so to be in tandem with our hike.

Based on ‘tit-for-tat’?

Having said that I, too, condemn and is extremely disappointed with the Singapore government decision to increase their toll rate on par with us. While I accept this is their sovereign right but the whole justification for the increase seems to be based on a ‘tit-for-tat’ idea and unlike their VEP reasoning, which is to control traffic flow in the island, the reasoning here seems to be hollow.

The Singapore government must understand and appreciate the amount of labour work force that we supply to their industry and contribution to their economy.

The government’s job is to form policy that benefit and protect the welfare of the people. I cannot see how allowing a private company to collect toll at a rate more than 470 percent from the previous rate and inviting our counterpart from Singapore to do the same has benefited the welfare of the people.

One must also not forget at the time when we are aggressively pushing for growth of the Iskandar Region, such increases on both sides totalling RM33 minus VEP is certainly not aiding the cause.

Hence, I urge both countries to immediately sit down and renegotiate a new and more feasible toll rate so as to end the suffering of the people. I am sure a lower toll rate would not only benefit Malaysians but thousands of Singaporeans as well who travel daily to Malaysia for business and leisure purposes. One must now look at the situation realistically, whether we like it or not, we need each other, so let’s find a solution that benefits both sides.

Finally, let not forget what Gandhi has reminded humanity, “An eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind.”


JIMMY PUAH WEE TSE is Johor PKR legal bureau chief and state assemblyperson for Bukit Batu.

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