KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor government staffer Jay Jay Denis has downplayed criticism against Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) decision to impose a charge of 90 sen for foreigners who board its PJ City Bus.
Denis, who is the special officer to Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, said contrary to accusations hurled by certain quarters, the fare is “not meant to be discriminatory”.
“The priority (for the PJ City Bus) is Malaysians. Foreigners are not disallowed from using the bus, they are more than welcome to do so. But (they are charged) a nominal fare (of 90 sen).
“(MBPJ) is not trying to profit (from the fare) since it doesn’t come anywhere close to covering the cost spent on the service,” he told The Vibes, noting that the ceiling charge for passengers is 96 sen.
He said he has yet to receive any complaints from foreigners regarding the imposed fare being “unfair”, adding that the RM50 monthly pass for unlimited rides on Prasarana Malaysia Bhd’s rail and bus services in the Klang Valley are also limited to locals.
His comments come after migrant rights group North-South Initiative’s executive director Adrian Pereira took to Twitter to lambast local authorities for alleged prejudice against foreigners, especially those earning a living here.
Why this bus fare discrimination between the Malaysian & Migrant working classes?Migrants also pay all kinds of fees,taxes (direct/indirect)etc2.If not enough busses for everyone,add busses.@cheanchung @rajiv4malaysia @pjcitycouncil @kusaaliny99 Please help us understand this? https://t.co/tsJk7cfBSs
— Adrian Pereira #ViralisingSolidarity (@liberationxxx) January 1, 2023
“Why (is there a) bus fare discrimination between the Malaysian and migrant working classes? Migrants also pay all kinds of fees as well as direct and indirect taxes,” he said in a post yesterday, tagging Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung and Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran.
The rate was announced by MBPJ in a Facebook post on December 30, stating that all PJ City Bus riders aged between 18 and 59 must scan a QR code through the citizen e-payment app (CEPat) from January onwards to use the public bus.
It added that commuters who are not part of the stated age group will not be required to scan the code and only need to show their identification cards or a copy of their passports.
The call has apparently been met with some trepidation, with several social media users venting their dissatisfaction over the somewhat tedious process while others bemoaned how they had to provide personal details such as their home address when registering on the app.
Meanwhile, Denis said plans for states to play a larger role in public transportation matters are in the works as part of a long-term strategy to improve services.
“It is not feasible in the long run for the federal government (through Prasarana) to do all the planning and operations for public transport (since) states have their own needs and differing requirements.
“We want to plan our own bus routes. This doesn’t have to be centralised through the Transport Ministry, but we want to work with the ministry, not against them.”
He added that under current laws, buses controlled by state authorities “have no legal right” to go into areas where Prasarana already has an existing route. – The Vibes, January 2, 2023
