Drop 90 sen fee for foreigners using ‘free bus’ service, rights group tells S’gor govt

KUALA LUMPUR – Selangor’s defence of the 90 sen fee it imposes on foreigners using the free PJ City Bus is blatant discrimination and unjustifiable, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) said.

The legal rights advocacy group called the explanations given by some state government figures “appalling” and the policy “abhorrent” for what is supposed to be a free public transportation service.

“Xenophobia must not be a part of any government policy, both at the state and federal levels, especially by the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led Selangor government, a coalition whose political platform promises reform,” LFL director Zaid Malek said in a statement.

He urged the state government to retract the charge on foreigners.

LFL singled out the explanation given by Jay Jay Denis, the special officer to the Selangor menteri besar, who said that the policy was “not meant to be discriminatory” and that the 90 sen fare is “not for profit” as it did not cover the cost of the service.

“However, this begs the question on why such a discriminatory fare would need to be imposed in the first place on the poorest users such as migrant workers.

“There is no good reason why they should not be able to benefit from the free bus service offered. The imposition of this fare upon migrants is irrational and arbitrary. Hence, this act is tantamount to bigotry, plain and simple.

“This is also implicit in the remarks by the Selangor MB’s aide in which he stressed that the priority for the PJ City Bus is for Malaysians, as if the migrants are mooching off the Malaysian taxpayers, a narrative often used to justify discriminatory policies against migrants,” Zaid said.

Better respect should be given to migrant workers, who are the “backbone” of Malaysia’s development and essential workers in many critical industries, he added.

“They also contribute to our taxes and economy.”

The 90 sen rate for foreigners was announced by MBPJ in a Facebook post on December 30, and is effective January 15.

Other Selangor government figures who have been reported defending the policy are state exco and Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han as well as Bandar Utama assemblyman Jamaliah Jamaluddin. – The Vibes, January 5, 2023