Members of the ruling MCA staged a rare demonstration today against the government's move to introduce drastic toll hikes at five Klang Valley highways which will take effect next Monday.

The 50-odd protestors, armed with banners and placards, held the 15-minute-long protest at the Bandar Sunway toll plaza along the Lebuhraya Puchong-Damansara (LDP) highway.

The LDP will see its toll increased from RM1 to RM1.60 under the new rate - the highest hike among the five affected highways.

Today's demonstration was led by MCA Puchong Youth division chief Theng Book. Its division chief Wong Hock Aun and MCA Kelana Jaya Youth chief Lee You Hin were also present.

The protestors held placards which among others read: ' Don't treat us as ATM machine ', ' LDP profits, consumers faint ', ' 60 percent too much ', ' Do some good deeds ' and ' LDP is robber '. They also chanted slogan like ' tol turun ' (reduce toll rates).

Speaking to reporters later, Theng urged the authorities to review the planned toll hikes.

"We are not totally objecting the toll hikes if it is a 10 percent hike. A 60 percent (at the LDP) hike or 40 percent at the Kesas highway are drastic, we want it to be reviewed to a moderate level," he said.

Residents' basic rights

Theng, who is also the MCA public services and complaint department's legal adviser, said an estimated 100,000 residents in Puchong will be severely affected by the new toll rates since there is no other alternative main road in the area.

"The entire Puchong area is surrounded by five toll plazas and all these toll plazas are almost all the routes that the Puchong residents will have to use," he lamented.

He also urged the government to alienate the LDP highway into an ordinary road since the LDP is surrounded by residential areas where the residents are paying income tax, quit rent and road tax.

"They are entitled to enjoy the convenience of these roads," he stressed.

He also noted that the LDP is not an effective highway since there is always traffic congestion during the peak hours where the motorists have to "pay toll to get stuck in traffic jam".

Asked on how MCA - being a ruling party - can take the people's unhappiness further to the government top leadership, Theng said "today's protest is one of our ways to air our views".

He added that the matter can be brought forward to the MCA leadership accordingly.

No police permit

On other ruling parties which have so far remained silent over the drastic toll hike, Theng declined to comment apart from saying it is "normal avenue" for the public to hold such peaceful gathering.

"We just express whatever views we have, whether Umno or someone else, everybody gets affected by these toll hikes. I don't see any reason to oppose (to our protests)," he added.

About 20 police personnel led by Subang Jaya district police chief Muhammad Fuad Talib kept watchful eyes over the entire proceeding but no untoward incident was reported.

Fuad told malaysiakini later that although the MCA's protest did not have a police permit, the protestors however adhered to the police's advice to disperse in 30 minutes and maintained a peaceful gathering.

On Dec 14, the government announced that the toll rates for five major highways in the Klang Valley will rise between 20 to 60 percent effective Jan 1. Among others, the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) will see its toll rise from RM1 to RM1.60.

Works Minister S Samy Vellu later disclosed that it cost RM4.13 billion to construct the five highways: LDP, Shah Alam Highway, Cheras-Kajang Highway, Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and the Guthrie Corridor Expressway.