YOURSAY 'What is so secretive about DBKL's rate hike? Is Malaysia trying to finance some illegal activity from the increase of the assessment tax?'

MPs refuse to sign OSA pledge over KL rates hike

Not Smart: Syabas to all Federal Territory MPs who refused to sign the Official Secrets Act (OSA) declaration (during the minister's briefing on the Kuala Lumpur assessment tax hike).

With this decision not to sign the document, FT Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor has no other choice but to drag in his poor (rich) wife to save his face.

What a joke - just because his wife is unhappy, he now wants to review the rates.

Anonymous$&@?: What is so secretive about DBKL's (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) rate hike? Is Malaysia trying to finance some illegal activity from the increase of the assessment tax, like the Iran-Contra scandal?

Senior: When and how did a rate hike concerning the rakyat become an official secret? Citizens/ voters pay assessments for services and if there is a rise in costs (as compared to last year) or additional costs/expenditure this year for improvements, then list them out.

This cloak and dagger stuff of keeping it a secret will only raise the suspicions of the rakyat that it's a punishment for voting opposition. The fact that it has not been raised for 21 years is not a valid argument. Why was it not raised last year then?

Anonymous_3e79: Why should the meeting be under the Official Secrets Act (OSA)? It's in the public's interest to know what Ku Nan told the MPs. OSA cannot be brought in on a whim to protect the interests of Umno.

Swipenter: Why are they abusing the OSA in such a manner? How can increasing assessment rates be a threat to national security? Indeed, how on earth can the country progress and move forward with such MPs and cabinet ministers?

LKT: Clearly it is another example of abuse of the OSA for non-national security matter. How are MPs going to perform their job as MPs if they can't explain to the constituents what they got from the briefing?

What is the point of briefing the MPs under such ridiculous terms? The FT minister made a decision affecting every FT property owner and he finds it unnecessary to give rational justifications to the taxpayers, and instead he uses OSA as a cover.

Clearly, he has shown himself to be unfit to be a minister. Such arrogant behaviour should be condemned unreservedly.

Lao Kor: The government always urges traders not to increase prices whenever subsidies are reduced, and people accept the call because this is fair to consumers.

But why is the government itself implementing a tax hike of up to 260 percent? Residents must demand all discussions or explanations on the matter be made completely transparent and not be done behind the veil of OSA.

Anonymous_4056: The MPs are the representatives of the rakyat - how can we trust the MPs for acting in secret? How could this Umno government act in such manner. If the MPs were to sign the OSA pledge, it would be an insult to them as well as the public at large.

Bystander: What's so secretive in explaining the impending hike in assessment? Adnan wants to let the opposition hear his nonsense and then forbid them to report on his stupidity or naivety?

A roof on top of our heads is the very basic human necessity and should not be taken advantage of by the authorities who have failed miserably in providing affordable housing to every deserving Malaysian, unlike Singapore.

Doc: How come the parliamentarians are not allowed to divulge to their constituents the reasons for DBKL increasing the assessment rates? In short, Tengku Adnan wants us to pay up and don't ask questions.

Anonymous_4056: Everything the government does must be under the OSA. The rakyat interests are affected and here they want to hide behind the OSA.

This exorbitant hike in assessment rate is Umno's backlash against KL residents for voting the opposition and rejecting Umno-BN. More backlashes are in the pipeline.

Disgusted: DBKL should improve its services and cut wastage and corruption first. If the Selangor government can have a budget surplus why can't City Hall, which has a bigger take of revenues?

If everyone in FT does not pay, can they take all of the defaulters to court? Let's say 80 or 90 percent of FT property owners refuse to pay the tax, how many summonses can they serve and even if they bring a few to court to teach them a lesson, we can raise funds for their legal expenses with a group of lawyers defending those charged on a pro bono basis.

It's time for the rakyat's power to prevail if all other avenues fail.

Hang Tuah PJ : What OSA? We are the citizens who voted you in. We have a right to know as we are the ones paying. You expect us to pay blindly, is it?

Headhunter: When someone is doing something "behind closed doors", it means something sinister is being plotted. What dirty tricks they are up to this time?

Ku Nan, we don't care about your wife's opinion

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