Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) and Gerakan Mahasiswa Se-Islam Malaysia (Gamis) have pledged to campaign against the move to increase highway toll charges.

NONE Gamis, a national student body, said it has already launched a movement called "Himpunan Amarah Rakyat" while Abim said it will soon be launching a campaign to air the voices of those suffering from rising cost of living.

Both movements described the actions of the federal government as inconsiderate and adding to the financial burden of the people.

"The decision to increase toll rates in favour of concession agreements clearly reflects that the people's welfare is not prioritised," Abim said in a press statement yesterday.

Similarly, Gamis said in its press statement, also released yesterday, that the government efforts to alleviate the burden of the working class were wanting.

Both groups also criticised Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Wahid Omar for calling on those unhappy with the increased toll charges to use alternative routes .

Breaking promises?

Both youth groups called on Wahid to apologise to the people.

NONE Gamis said Wahid ( left ) should be aware that the Budget 2011 speech of the prime minister had stated that the toll charges would not be raised within five years.

The group also said it would be organising a rally on New Year's Eve, themed "2014 Tahun Sengsara Rakyat (2014 the year of the people's misery)", and the venue would be announced soon.

Toll charges in the Klang Valley are be raised by between RM0.50 and RM2 from Jan 1 .

NONE The federal government said the increase in toll charges was inevitable because gradual increase of the charges was part of the concessionaire agreements with the highway operators.

Without the increase in toll charges, Works Minister Fadillah Yusof said, the government would have to fork out RM400 million to the highway operators, a sum that could be used for other purposes.

However, critics have pointed out that the contracts are lopsided to begin with, and were not awarded through open tender. Furthermore, BN had pledged to reduce toll charges in its 13th general election manifesto.