The Selangor BN hit out at Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today for his stance over the revised assessment rate issue affecting land owners in Subang New Village and Sungai Buloh New Village.

Selangor BN coordinator Mohd Zin Mohamed said Khalid should not link the federal government to the fixing of assessment rates in the state as the matter came under the state government's jurisdiction through the local authorities.

NONE Mohd Zin ( left ) said the menteri besar and the state executive council were responsible over the affairs of the local authorities had the power to decide on the assessment rates to be imposed on the state's residents, whether to raise it or not.

"In the appointment of local councillors, for instance, the local authorities have the power to consider and decide. In fact, the functions of the local authorities are overseen by the state government," he told reporters while overseeing preparations for the Karnival Sayangi Selangor (Love Selangor Carnival) at i-City in Shah Alam.

Mohd Zin was commenting on Khalid's statement on Tuesday that the local authorities could not arbitrarily raise assessment rates imposed on residents.

Khalid had said that the assessment rates were determined based on the valuation of the property made by the Valuation and Property Services Department under the Finance Ministry.

Changes, current activities led to revision

Yesterday, Shah Alam Mayor Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan said a review of the assessment rates for the land owners in Subang New Village and Sungai Buloh New Village was made based an new buildings that had cropped up and change of building use, and on current activities in the two areas.

Mohd Jaafar said because of the change in the major activity in the two new villages from agriculture to industry, the assessment rates, which were one to two percent under agriculture land, were changed to industrial land rates of seven to 7.5 percent.

On the carnival, Mohd Zin said members of the public could enjoy free parking during the four days from Dec 29, as well as free entry to the Trick Art Museum at i-City throughout the carnival.

He said a career exhibition involving the corporate and private sectors would be held during the carnival and it would offer up to 6,000 job opportunities.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to attend the New Year's eve celebration at the carnival site on the night of Dec 31.

- Bernama