If one were to listen to Works Minister Samy Vellu and his likes in justifying the toll price hikes, you would be getting the impression that highway operator Plus is in great debt and having a hard time making ends meet if the hike was not approved.

Fine, but how does this reconcile with the fact that Plus is a public-listed company and last I heard was making good profits. To be listed, Plus must have had a good track record of profits and projected a steady income stream for the future. It would seem therefore that foregoing a price hike would only make their profits less attractive to shareholders and potential investors.

The government being the biggest shareholder of Plus has a lot to lose in terms of return of dividends and also possible price appreciation in the share value. But they are losing much more in terms of goodwill of the people by allowing the price hike. Viewed coldly it is a straight choice between protecting the interests of Plus, ie. government against that of road users - the common rakyat. It is a non-contest as it were, since Pak Lah is not interested to demonstrate to us that he understands the people's concerns and hardship that they may face or that he even cares.

Plus can argue that the hike is allowed for in the concession agreement, but this must have been subject to government approval from the way Samy tells it. Or is it a done deal from day one and the government is merely playing politics with us, putting up a show of huffing and puffing before finally allowing it. No one will be the wiser until the details of the agreement are revealed, and it is strange that Plus which ranks tops in corporate transparency is unwilling to bare all and come clean.

For Plus and/or the government it is a classic case of having their cake and eating it, and as usual the poor fools are taken for a ride. Welcome to a new era of the modern highway robber!