The announcement of increased bus and taxi fares in Peninsular Malaysia with effect from Oct. 1 made by the Minister of Power and Utilities, Dato Ganie Gilong, is a ‘shocker’.

DAP flays Minister of Power, Dato Ganie Gilong, for giving in to the pressures of bus companies in disregard of interests of commuters

The announcement of increased bus and taxi fares in Peninsular Malaysia with effect from Oct. 1 made by the Minister of Power and Utilities, Dato Ganie Gilong, is a ‘shocker’.

Dato Ganie Gilong has clearly given in to the pressure of bus companies for increased fares in disregard of the interests of the commuters.

In his press conference yesterday, Dato Ganie Gilong, told newsmen that the revision in fares was in the interests of both commuters and the operators.

I challenge the Minister of Power, Dato Ganie Gilong, to list out the benefits the commuters would get from such increase in bus fares. If Dato Ganie Gilong cannot do so, can the Deputy Minister of Power, Dr. Goh Cheng Teik do so?

Are the commuters going to get better bus services, more frequest services, elimination of long waits and violent rushes for the buses?

The Minister xx disclosed yesterday that nearly half the bus companies in the country had yet to submit their accounts to his Ministry.

Yet, many times in recent weeks, both the Minister of Power, Dato Ganie Gilong, and the Deputy Minister, xx Dr. Goh Cheng Teik, have publicly stated that the Ministry could not recommend to the Cabinet any increase in bus fares unless all the accounts by all the bus companies have been submitted.

Why then, have the Ministry allowed increase in bus fares when the bus companies have not complied with the Ministry’s instructions? Has the Minister of Power, Dato Ganie Gilong, referred the increase in bus fares to the Cabinet, and xx received Cabinet approval? If so, when was the Cabinet meeting? And why did the UMNO, MCA, MIC Ministers agree to these bus fare increases when they are detrimental to low-income groups?

It is clear that the bus companies have proved that they are more powerful than the Minister and Deputy Minister of Power and Utilities; that the Minister and Deputy Minister must toe the line of the bus companies. Unless Dato Ganie Gilong and Dr. Goh Cheng Teik can give the public a satisfactory explanation, they should resign their Ministerial positions for their failure to protectthe interests of commuters against the pressures of bus companies.