Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a toll hike freeze for 10 highways. While this announcement may have made many Malaysians happy, there are some who still may question Pakatan Harapan’s pledge to abolish tolls during the 15th general election.
This question was brought forward by Besut’s Member of Parliament Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh during Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today on 29 July 2025. In response, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said that by abolishing the tolls, the government would have to contribute billions of ringgit for maintenance.
He added that the sum can be used for other matters in improving society and the country. “Instead, these funds can be used in states like Kelantan, Terengganu or the territories of Sabah and Sarawak, which do not use tolls,” Nanta said.
He also noted the possibility of reducing toll prices in the future, once the companies that have invested in Malaysia’s toll infrastructure have recouped their investments. Some of the companies include PLUS Malaysia Bhd (LPT2), SKVE Holdings Sdn Bhd (SKVE), Maju Expressway Sdn Bhd (MEX) and Lingkaran Luar Butterworth (Penang) Sdn Bhd (LLB).
On the other hand, Nanta also replied to a query from Datuk Seri Mohmed Puzi Ali (BN–Pekan) about the effects of the toll hike freeze, to which he said that the deferment would benefit 941,000 Malaysians who utilise the highway daily. “If the toll rate hike is not postponed, highway users travelling on the 10 affected highways would experience a significant impact,” he said.
(Source: The Edge / Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi Facebook)
