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MPPP & MPSP assessment hike another flip-flop

The Penang chief minister is quick to seize on any opportunity for any situation to berate Putrajaya. But this is a clever move to divert attention from the Penang state government’s ill-administration of the Pearl of the Orient.

The latest announcement that the assessment rates increase of between 0.5 percent and 4.45 percent by the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) do not take into the consideration of the hardships of the lower income groups.

Despite declaring in the Jan 9, 2014 edition of the state government’s mouthpiece Buletin Mutiara , where Lim Guan Eng declared that the Penang state administration would not increase the assessment rates, this is proof of another Pakatan back-pedalling on its words.

The climb in the assessment rates in Penang also reminds us of the Selangor Pakatan state government which reneged on its own 2008 manifesto to reduce the assessment rates for residential areas by 20 percent and commercial premises by 10 percent. Not only did the Selangor Pakatan state administration breach its own pledges, it even adjusted upwards the value of the premises, causing the quantum of rate payable to fly!

Recognising the public backlash for its failure to reduce the Selangor assessment rates, this clause was conveniently removed from the 2013 national Pakatan Manifesto and for Selangor, with the hope that the public would forget this broken promise.

As the Penang state government is concerned with raising state income, it should first take action to collect arrears from errant property owners before making a sweeping rise in assessment rates affecting responsible property owners who pay their rates promptly.


MICHAEL LEE is Penang MCA Youth chairperson and MCA Youth treasurer-general.

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