KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 21): Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said on Thursday that the implementation of the multi-lane free flow (MLFF) toll system is still under "heavy consideration" by the government.

During the ministry's winding-up speech on the Supply Bill 2025 at the Dewan Rakyat, Ahmad acknowledged that the multi-billion-ringgit barrier-free toll system proposal has faced pushback from highway concessionaires, with PLUS Malaysia Bhd among them.

"We are trying to obtain consent. The issue now is 'concessions on top of concessions.' A new concession to implement MLFF on top of the 33 existing highway concessions, half of which are owned by PLUS.

"PLUS did not agree to the proposal because they have the capability to implement it on their own," Ahmad said.

He added that a decision on the matter will be made by Dec 16 but did not elaborate further, with a Cabinet paper to be prepared by the ministry following the decision.

The proposed MLFF system is designed to replace the current booth-based toll collection system with overhead gantries. These gantries will collect tolls using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology along with an automated number plate recognition (ANPR) system.

The system is estimated to cost RM3.46 billion to implement across 33 highways in Malaysia.

According to a report by The Edge Malaysia weekly, citing sources, a private entity — 60%-owned by YTL Corp Bhd (KL:YTL) and 40%-owned by a state-linked entity — held a briefing with the Malaysian Highway Authority and the Ministry of Works in July last year to present its proposal for MLFF implementation to highway concessionaires.

However, the YTL-linked proposal reportedly encountered resistance from toll concessionaires, who criticised the private entity's lack of a proven track record. They also expressed concerns that involving a third party in toll collection could lead to potential revenue leakages.

It is noteworthy that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has also initiated an investigation into the MLFF toll system, and the report is currently being finalised.

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