Thesun 2009-02-27 Page01 Toll Goes Up

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No. 4706 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)

Friday February 27, 2009

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pg28

Toll goes up

Christian publications can use ‘Allah’ KUALA LUMPUR: All Christian publications, including the Catholic weekly Herald, Catholic Sabah and Today’s Catholic of Sarawak, can now use the word “Allah’, provided their front covers carry the words “For Christianity”. The nod on the use of the hitherto controversial word to refer to God was given under the Internal Security (Prohibition on Use of Specific Words on Document and Publication) Order 2009, gazetted on Feb 16. Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar made the ministerial order under the Internal Security Act 1960, and this is expected to end a thorny issue between the publisher of Herald – the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur – and the Ministry‘s Publications and Al-Quran Text Division that had seen the matter end up in court. However, the order comes with a condition that such publications must carry a caution on the front page – “For Christianity” or “Untuk Agama Kristian” – and the font size is also spelt out. The March 1 issue of Herald will carry an article on the front page headlined “Allah comes under the Surveillance of ISA”. Close to its masthead, the newspaper, which has a readership of 13,000 per issue, complied with the condition by printing “Untuk Agama Kristian”. “Many will heave a sigh of relief that at last we are free to use the word ‘Allah’, a word that has been in use in the Church for more than four centuries,” hailed the weekly. However, it noted that the matter is now under the surveillance of the Internal Security Act. A Herald lawyer, who declined to be named, said they will clarify the latest development with the High Court today. He said the initial directive was issued under the Printing Presses and Publications Act and the current order was made under the ISA. Both laws are enforced by the Home Ministry.

POLITICIANS GIVE THUMBS DOWN TO ILL-TIMED MOVE by Kristene Silva Marie [email protected]

K

UALA LUMPUR: Users of five highways including the North-South Expressway (PLUS) will have to pay higher toll rates from Sunday, a move that has got politicians from both sides of the divide, including the prime minister, giving the decision a thumbs down. Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed, who announced this yesterday, said the cabinet had approved the increase based on the terms of the concession agreements for PLUS, Sprint Highway, AmpangKuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya) and New Pantai Expressway (NPE). For the PLUS highway, the new toll rate is 14.28 sen/km – up by 0.68 sen.

However, the increase does not apply at the toll plazas at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Johor Causeway and Bangunan Sultan Iskandar. For the other four highways, which operate an open toll system, the fixed charges have been increased by between 10 sen and 50 sen (see table for details). Mohd Zin, who gave the rates for only passenger cars at a press conference at his ministry, described the increase as “marginal”, citing the example of a car paying only 30 sen more for travel from Jalan Duta to Bukit Raja (34km). To soften the impact of his announcement, he noted that PLUS had recently given users discounts if they use the highway between midnight and 7am. He said as for the Besraya highway, users will have to pay only at the Mines toll AL/THESUN

North-South Expressway Toll for passenger cars increased from 13.6 sen/km to 14.28 sen/km

Sprint-Kerinci and Damansara Link Toll plaza

Present toll

New toll

Pantai

RM1.50

Damansara

RM1

RM2 50 sen RM1.30 30 sen

Increase

Ampang-KL Elevated Highway Toll plaza

Present toll New toll

Increase

Keramat

RM1.50

50 sen

RM2

Sg. Besi Highway (BESRAYA) Toll plaza

Present toll New toll

Mines

RM1.30

Increase

RM1.40 10 sen

New Pantai Expressway Toll plaza

Present toll New toll

Increase

Pantai Dalam, RM1.60 RM2 40 sen PJS 2 (towards Subang Jaya), *For toll for other classes, please PJS 5 go to www.plus.com.my.

plaza, since the Salak Jaya toll collection had been abolished on Tuesday, enabling them to go from Jalan Istana to Sungai Besi town without paying toll. Mohd Zin said the rise was to have been implemented on Jan 1 last year but had been postponed to tomorrow, causing the government to compensate RM245 million to the operators – RM177 million to PLUS, RM38 million to SPRINT and RM30 million to Ampang elevated highway. He said the rise should not be looked at as a burden because the quality of the highway would be ensured and upgraded. The minister’s announcement got MPs from both the ruling Barisan Nasional and the Opposition camp upset. BN Backbenchers’ Club (BNBBC) chai man Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the timing was bad as there was a world economic recession and the government was trying to help the country fight the impact. “We are also looking into the possibility for the government to buy PLUS Expressways Bhd shares.” Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that they will never agree with decisions that burdened the people. Speaking in PATTAYA, Thailand yesterday where he was attending the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he will ask the cabinet to reconsider the toll increase because it is inappropriate given the current situation. Selangor Umno Youth members (left) getting physical with Opposition “Review is the best thing to do. After that MPs at the Parliament House yesterday as PJ Utara Umno Youth chief Latt Sharizan Abdullah tries we will make a just decision,” he was quoted by to separate them. In the thick of the action is Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng and Bagan Serai’s N. Bernama as saying. Gobalakrishnan (right). The rowdy visitors had earlier confronted MP Karpal Singh. Full report Page 4 ZULKIFLI ERS

Tug-of-war ...

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