The assessment rate hike in Kuala Lumpur has been deferred following protests from property owners and MPs. - The Malaysian Insider pic, November 27, 2013.Putrajaya has decided to defer the contentious assessment rate hike for Kuala Lumpur property owners indefinitely following angry protests from MPs and residents.
Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk J. Loga Balan Mohan said this is to enable City Hall to hold public hearings on the appeals submitted by property owners affected by the hike.
"The proposed increase will be deferred to allow for appeals to be heard from January to March next year.
"The proposed increase will be deferred to allow for appeals to be heard from January to March next year.
"We have not decided when to implement it yet," he said in winding up points raised by MPs in Parliament today.
The good news was immediately relayed by Lim Lip Eng (DAP - Segambut) on his twitter account. "Breakin (sic) news from parliament. Proposed assessement hike has been shelved until March next year," he tweeted.
This is seen as a victory for Kuala Lumpur property owners who, through their MPs, had urged City Hall to allow them a grace period of six months before implementing the new rates.
KL residents were up in arms after being hit by a proposed hike in rates, which was between 100% and 1,000% which City Hall said was to take effect on January 1.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor had said previously that City Hall hoped to raise an extra RM400 million a year in revenue from the higher assessment rates as it needed money to upgrade roads, markets and other infrastructure.
Tengku Adnan also did not discount the possibility that there may be a reduction in the current 6% rate assessment rate for house owners.
This caused the city's MPs to mobilise property owners to file their objection letters with City Hall, which they have to submit before the December 17 deadline.
Under the law, City Hall will have to give every person who files an objection the right to a hearing.
A legal expert on local government law had warned that those who did not file their objections to City Hall by the deadline would be subjected to the new valuation list and percentage rate to be determined by the local council and Federal Territories minister respectively.
Lawyer Derek Fernandez had told The Malaysian Insider recently: "If you don't object, then by default, the new annual value of the property will be fixed under the new valuation list for your property."
Fernandez had also said that the assessment rate hike set for January 1 could face delays if thousands of property owners send in appeals that must be heard individually by City Hall before the new rate can be implemented.
Earlier today, The Malaysian Insider reported that city MPs will turn up at City Hall with boxes of objection letters on December 16, a day before the deadline.
This move was seen as an attempt to force City Hall to defer the implementation date for the new rates. - November 27, 2013.
3 comments:
Do you recommend to send a letter to object against the new valuation?
yes of course. if u dont do it they'll assume you accept it
Just did mine with the management office.
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