PKR Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin has expressed regret that after 27 days, the toll rate for the Penang Second Bridge remains a “mystery”.

Sim said that he had an “intense debate” with Deputy Works Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin in Parliament yesterday as she replied to his question during the ministry’s wrap-up session.

Rosnah informed the parliament that the government has decided the toll rate. However she refused to reveal the details, Sim claimed.

“She kept on saying that the Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) will announce the rate. To me, this is absolutely unacceptable,” Sim said in a statement.

“Parliament is the highest legislative body in the country. The ministry must answer parliamentarians’ queries in the spirit of checks and balances, transparency and accountability,” he added.

Sim was referring to the RM4.5 billion bridge named after the Agong, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge, which was opened by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on March 1.

Toll charges have been suspended for a month for the 23km bridge which links Batu Maung on the island to Batu Kawan on the mainland, but concessionaire Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd is expected to collect the money from April 1 onwards.

Currently, motorists are paying RM7 for the first bridge which runs from Bukit Gelugor to Prai on the mainland.

Meanwhile, Sim ( left ) drew parallels between his experience on the matter and the attitude of government authorities, criticised as slow, to releasing of information related to the mysterious missing Malaysian Airlines MH370, where its search mission, which has shifted to west of Perth, has entered its 20th day.

He added that this was “exactly the attitude” for which international media from China, Europe and the US have been criticising the authorities.

“Yet, the government still refuses to change and the same attitude remains,” Sim quipped.

Sim said the Transport Ministry is “the boss” of the LLM, asking why the decision has to be passed to a subordinate agency to announce.

“This raises suspicious that the second bridge toll rate could be very high,” Sim speculated.

“Also raised was whether the 20 percent discount on Touch ‘n Go users would be applied to the second bridge, (but) the deputy minister also refused to answer,” he lamented.

Sim also pointed out that the Penang Second Bridge concession period is the longest in the country.

“So every Penangite has a right to know as they, their children and their grandchildren have to pay the toll. With four days of the free trial period to go, Penangites demand answers immediately,” he added.