More than 1,000 people from all walks of life today gathered near the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highway to protest against the recent toll hike in five Klang Valley highways.

The organisors however estimated the protesting crowd to be more than 2,500.

The two-hour protest started at the Sunway Pyramid shopping complex and also attracted hundreds of spectators.

The protestors demanded the government reverse the increases and reveal agreements with highway operators.

About 500 police personnel, including the anti-riot unit from the federal reserve force, were there to keep a watchful eye on the protesters.

Beginning Jan 1, the toll rates for five highways increased between 20 to 60 percent. LDP saw the highest rise with its toll rising from RM1 to RM1.60.

The other four highways are Shah Alam Highway, Cheras-Kajang Highway, Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and Guthrie Corridor Expressway.

The protest today was organised by the anti-toll rise coalition which is made up of opposition parties, non-government organisations, unions and several civil society movements.

Procession stopped by police

The protest started at about 4pm with about 500 people gathering right outside the main entrance of the shopping mall.

Mall security were seen busy and politely controlling the crowd to allow shoppers to enter and exit the complex.

After 30 minutes of speeches from opposition leaders and activist present at the protest, the growing crowd began an intended march towards the LDP toll booths.

Following this was a cat-and-mouse game between the police and the protesting crowd. Some 20 light strike force personnel in riot gear tried in vain to block the crowd from proceeding.

But finally, the organisers decided to gather the protestors at the sidewalk opposite Mentari Business Park, right next to the Sunway Pyramid shopping complex, after the police managed to block them yet again.

By now, the crowd had swelled to more than 1,000 people while another 100 FRU personnel were brought in.

The protestors were carrying banners calling for the toll rates to be reduced, and chanted "Long live the people!" and "Down with the toll".

At the same time, the watching crowd too grew bigger. Hundreds were perched on a pedestrian bridge while hundreds more watched curiously from the opposite side of the road (the New Pantai Expressway). Both the NPE and LDP criss cross at the Sunway Junction.

The police had kept a watchful eyes of the proceeding and on numerous occasions, politely asked protestors to stay on the sidewalk. Riot police were then positioned along the sidewalk to keep the public from encroaching on the busy road.

A water-cannon too was on standby.

Commission of Inquiry

Meanwhile, AFP reported the executive director of rights group Suaram, Yap Swee Seng, as saying that protestors were seething over a lack of transparency in the concession deals.

"We are demanding the government make public the contents of the contracts and set up a commission to look into all these contracts," said Yap.

The coalition against the toll hike was led by Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud.

"We are expressing our discontentment and frustration to the government," he said.

"For the past couple of years we have seen an increase in the price of petrol and goods and services ... People are very frustrated and very angry," he told AFP.

No arrests

Subang district police chief ACP Muhd Fuad Talib said that the police will investigate the protest as an illegal demonstration.

However, he said it was unlikely that anyone would be arrested over the matter.

"This is because they followed our instructions [...] and was quite orderly. They never threatened life and property, which is our priority (to protect)," said Muhd Fuad when met after the demonstrators dispersed.

In May last year, scores of protestors were injured by riot police during an anti-fuel hike demonstration in Kuala Lumpur.

Compensation by government

Under concession agreements signed between the government and the operators which span three decades, the companies are allowed to regularly raise toll rates and critics say they are making massive profits.

The government said it has paid compensation to companies to fend off toll hikes, but that it could no longer afford to do this.

Works Minister S Samy Vellu last month said the government would still be forking out RM2.58 billion in compensation, despite the hikes.

Lawmakers, activists and unionists have slammed the rises, which they say are unjustified after the nation's steepest-ever fuel price hikes in February last year.

The rise in petrol prices saw inflation hit a six-year high of 4.8 percent in March.

(Photos by Andrew Ong)