PKR treasurer-general Tan Yee Kew said the claim by communications and multimedia minister Salleh Said Keruak was ludicrous because whichever party became the government had to bear the responsibility of providing facilities for the people.
“Is Salleh Keruak unable to differentiate between a gift and the government’s responsibility?
“National revenue comes from the people who contribute through various taxes including the GST (goods and services tax), so don’t bother painting the MRT project as a gift,” she said in a statement today.
Salleh, in his blog post yesterday, said that despite the high cost of building the MRT, the government went ahead with it for the benefit of the people.
“This is a gift from the PM to the nation,” he wrote in his blog.
Prime Minister Najib Razak launched the second phase of the 51km MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line yesterday.
The project, costing RM21 billion, is expected to carry some 400,000 commuters daily.
Tan hit back at Salleh by saying that, on the contrary, the “gift” from the Umno-Barisan Nasional government to the people was the 1MDB scandal and the GST which burdened the people with a higher cost of living.
She reminded the government that the transportation system in the rural areas was still unsatisfactory.
“Why doesn’t Salleh propose a MRT gift for the people of Sabah? Look at which era the existing trains in Sabah came from.
“The Umno-BN government leaders are taking an easy ride on the sufferings of the people. It’s not something enviable to be shared with the people.”