KL folk cry foul over proposed city tax hike, say could risk BN’s future electoral prospects
(TMI) – Where else can they get the money from, I guess.
Ask Robert Quah about the proposed 100% hike in assessment rates for Kuala Lumpur house owners and his anger is palpable.
The head of the Taman Seputeh residents’ association believes the hike could be an impetus to kick out the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the next general election, due by 2018.
He is not alone. Other representatives of residents’ associations are also seething at the increase announced by Kuala Lumpur City Hall through notices, which house owners have been receiving in the past week.
The last revision of assessment rates in Kuala Lumpur was 21 years ago.
And according to a report in The Star last year, the total number of residential properties in Kuala Lumpur stood at about 1.77 million units.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor yesterday justified the hike in assessment rates by saying property prices have gone through the roof.
“If a house used to cost RM80,000, but is now worth RM700,000, but the assessment rate is still low, what are we going to do?” Tengku Adnan said in Parliament yesterday.
Quah was not convinced with Tengku Adnan’s reasoning.
“The increase is ridiculous,” he said, adding that for link houses in Taman Seputeh, the assessment rate has increased from about RM9,000 to RM18,000.
In Kepong, some owners of low-cost houses are saying the hike is as much as 267%.
“They (City Hall) sent us a letter saying that we have 12 days to object,” Quah added.
