C Sivaraj said the proposal put forward by federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to ease traffic congestion was impractical and unfair as many people have no reliable alternative to driving.

“Malaysians are not sitting in traffic for fun. They are doing so because they have no choice,” he said in a statement.

“Until fundamental problems are resolved, implementing a congestion charge is nothing more than an unfair tax on those who are already struggling with high cost of living and stagnant wages.”

Sivaraj said a congestion charge would further lead to price hikes across various sectors. He said ride-hailing fares would rise as companies pass the costs onto consumers.

Food delivery and logistics expenses would also increase.

“The price of groceries and daily necessities will go up, not due to market forces but because of a poorly thought-out government policy,” he said.

‘Fix what is broken first’

Sivaraj criticised comparisons made between Kuala Lumpur and cities like London and Singapore. He said they were misleading as these cities implemented congestion charges only after ensuring their public transport systems were world-class and reliable.

He urged the government to focus on improving road conditions, fixing potholes, and upgrading public transport reliability.

He also suggested considering more effective measures such as modern traffic management systems, better road planning, and policies that promote flexible work arrangements to ease peak-hour congestion.

“Before imposing more costs on the people, the government must first fix what is broken,” he said.