Highway concessionaire Litrak - which operates the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) - said it was not in the position to comment on issues surrounding the toll hike and contents of a secret document revealed by the opposition recently.

Litrak chief executive officer Sazally Saidi, in a brief written response to malaysiakini this afternoon, said the company understands that many issues have been raised with the revision of toll rate along the LDP recently.

"As much as we want to provide answers and explanation to every question asked or issue raised, it is best that these are posed to the relevant authorities," Sazally said.

"This is because all those issues had been thoroughly discussed between the company and the authorities, where details were tabled, audited and scrutinised. Thus, the authorities are the best parties to provide answers as this will prevent any misunderstanding or misrepresentation of information with regard to the issues."

Sazally said Litrak will continue to improve services for highway users and is planning to increase the capacity of the highway over the next few years via various engineering enhancement works to further ease traffic congestion.

In a phone interview earlier, communications manager Zuhri Iskandar Kamarzaman had said: "We work closely with the government, so any issues relating to the toll hike should be directed to the government.

"This is our understanding to avoid any confusion and misunderstanding. There should be only one source of comment."

He was asked to respond to comments made at a press conference by opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders last Thursday.

PKR information bureau chief Tian Chua claimed that he had obtained a 200-page document, purportedly to be the toll agreement signed by the government and Litrak on April 23, 1996 - it has been shrouded in secrecy up to then.

Zuhri said he could not confirm or deny the authenticity of the document, and that his company was not in a position to answer to the question.

Money-making machine

Asked if the 60 percent toll hike along the LDP was justifiable when the company has made profits running into millions of ringgit - at a time when the rakyat are reeling from the rising cost of living - the Litrak official first joking replied: "You should buy our shares."

He then added: "We shouldn't debate this from the point of the agreement because I am sure all this (arguments) has been tabled during the discussions (with the authorities)."

According to Litrak 2006 annual report, the company recorded a net profit of RM80 million and collected RM243 million in revenue during its financial year ending March 31, 2006.

PKR claimed the toll agreement was drafted in a way that gives the government little power as it allows the concessionaire to continue collecting toll, whether the company is reaping profits or making losses - hence turning Litrak into a "money-making machine".

In view of this, PKR and its allies in the Coalition Against Toll Hike have urged the government to reveal the details of all toll agreements and suspend the current hike until a full study is done.

There have been strong reactions to the toll hike from various groups, including MCA which staged a rare protest along the LDP two weeks ago. Thousands gathered at a similar protest organised by the coalition just a stone's throw from the Litrak headquarters yesterday.

On Dec 14, the government announced that toll rates for the five highways - LDP, Shah Alam Highway, Cheras-Kajang Highway, Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and Guthrie Corridor Expressway - would go up between 20 to 60 percent effected Jan 1.