In a statement today, Lau said works minister Alexander Nanta Linggi’s defence that abolishing tolls might cost the government billions in maintenance showed that PH’s promise was an impossible “myth”.

“Even if Anwar is given another five years (in power), it will not change the fact that the companies will have their concessions extended.

“Will Anwar dare to repeat this promise in the next general election? PH leaders previously said the tolls would be abolished in stages, beginning with toll rate reductions, but the reality is that they are extending toll collections.

“(The promise of toll abolition) was a blatant lie to the public,” he said.

Nanta said in Parliament yesterday that scrapping tolls was not a straightforward matter, and that deferring increases was more practical and realistic.

“In my view, we don’t need to abolish tolls for now. But if these (concession) companies have achieved their returns on investment, and if the toll rates are burdensome, then we can reduce them,” he said.

According to PH’s “Tawaran Harapan” manifesto launched in November 2022 ahead of the 15th general election, “the Harapan administration is determined to continue reducing PLUS tolls gradually with the ultimate goal of eliminating tolls and returning the PLUS highway to public ownership”.