After the success of an anti-toll hike rally in Sunway City last Sunday, a similar gathering will be held this coming Sunday in Gombak.

The demonstration is again organised by Protes - a coalition of opposition parties, civil society groups, trade unions and student groups - and will take place near the Gombak toll plaza of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak highway.

"The public are urged to attend the gathering to protest the hike in toll charges at five major highways throughout the Klang Valley and urge the government to reveal all highway concession agreements and withdraw the decision to raise toll charges," said Protes secretary Dr Hatta Ramli.

The public are advised to park at the slip-road near the toll plaza heading towards International Islamic University (UIA) and gather at the area at 4pm.

Smaller turnout expected

Hatta told malaysiakini that the local police might not extend the same courtesy shown at the Sunway protest, where the police allowed proceedings to go on for two hours without any major problems.

On Dec 30, a small groups of locals held a protest near the Gombak toll booth and were promptly shooed away by the police, claimed Hatta, who is also PAS central committee member.

Protes committee member Tian Chua however is optimistic that the police would do what is necessary to ensure public safety.

"For the police not to attack innocent members of the public in exercising their democratic right to vent their frustrations should be the norm," said Tian, who is also Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information chief.

Tian said Protes expects a small turnout at the Gombak protest compared to the previous week in Sunway due to the remote location of the venue.

RM1, RM0.50 increase

Beginning Jan 1, the toll rates for five major highways in the Klang Valley increased between 20 to 60 percent.

The Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway's Gombak toll is now at RM5, an increase of RM1, while the highway's Bentong toll will increased by 50 sen to RM3.

The other four highways are Shah Alam Highway, Cheras-Kajang Highway, Damansara-Puchong Highway and the Guthrie Corridor Expressway.

The hikes have drawn strong reaction from various groups including component parties of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

The protest in Sunway City was the most notable thus far which drew thousands of participants from all walks of life in denouncing the drastic hikes in toll charges.