No hike in toll rates this year, says Muhyiddin

BOWING to public pressure, Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced yesterday that the government had decided not to impose toll-rate increases this year but would instead absorb the RM400 million (S$153 million) it would cost to compensate the concessionaires involved.

Mr Muhyiddin's announcement was not surprising as public outrage over accumulated price hikes owing to the government's subsidy rationalisation measures had been mounting.

A recent survey by the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research revealed that consumer confidence had plummeted to its lowest level since the 2009 global financial crisis. The main gripe was the rising cost of living.