KINIBIZ Kuala Lumpur Mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib confirmed that the assessment rates hike in January 2014 for KL residents will proceed as planned despite widespread protests, but conceded that there might be some revisions to the valuations and rates to ease the burden of the rakyat.
When asked by KiniBiz whether the decision to raise the assessment rates has been done hastily, the mayor simply replied that “it is within our legal right as local government to review the valuation of properties every five years and it has been 21 years since we last did it.”
That puts him at odds with Nurul Izzah Anwar (
right
), MP for Lembah Pantai, who said that Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor had promised to take the Kuala Lumpur MPs’ objections on the assessment hike seriously.
“We demanded a delay of six months, alongside more disclosure of Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) finances and budget. The mayor contradicted himself. In his budget speech last year, assessment revenue increased by 8.6 percent. So why did things change so suddenly?” Nurul told KiniBiz .
The Lembah Pantai MP believes that Tengku Adnan is calling the shots in this matter and must heed the urgings by all KL MPs who are unanimous against the hike.
The mayor added that DBKL is allowed under the laws to increase assessment rates up to 35 percent, but the current rates are 6 percent for landed properties, 8 percent for apartments, 12 percent for commercial units and 2 percent for rural areas.
The mayor reiterated that the submission date for any written objections to DBKL against the new assessments would not be extended beyond Dec 17, 2013, despite public appeals for an extension.
“That date is final. We have just had a discussion with Members of Parliament and the Federal Territories minister. After receiving all written objections on Dec 17, we could reconsider the quantum of the assessment with our panel of advisers. This could mean either the lowering of the valuation of the property or the rates to ease the burden of homeowners,” the mayor explained.
