Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua today claimed that the concessionaires of the four tolls set to be abolished by the government, stand to make "astronomical" profits from government compensation.

In a statement, Pua said that the government will need to pay Plus Malaysia Bhd (Plus) and Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), which operate the tolls, a total of RM118 million per year, from 2018 to 2038, when their concessions are set to expire.

"Assuming the compensation doesn't increase over time, it will still cost a whopping RM2.36 billion. However, this compensation amount will be even higher when it is calculated based on forecast toll usage in the future.

"Whether the compensation is given out in cash, or extensions of concessions, the person footing the bill will still be the rakyat. Let's not forget that the government had already compensated toll concessionaires before, when they announced halting toll rate hikes, in past budget speeches...