On Monday, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the Government was considering the possibility of a waiver of the proposed assessment increase for low and middle cost properties in KL.
“It is also possible that we will not increase the rates for property owners living in their own houses. Another way is to implement the increase by stages,” he said.
Just one day after many city dwellers were happy to hear what he said, he seemed to give indication yesterday that there might not be good news after all.
Yesterday, he said that property owners were confused about the increase in assessment rate for Kuala Lumpur as they had misunderstood that they had to pay the new proposed annual value instead of six percent of the new annual value.
He also blamed the Opposition for creating the confusion on the matter.
Let me tell Tengku Adnan, who has said a few days ago that his wife was confused on the actual amount to pay, that many people did not misunderstand the matter like his wife did.
City dwellers fully understand that when their property annual value is doubled, it will mean that their annual assessment rate will double if the percentage tax rate remains the same.
Let me tell Tengku Adnan that the people also know that a hike in annual value does not mean that their assessment rate must increase or increase exorbitantly as he as the Federal Territories Minister can reduce the tax percentage rate which are now 6% for private properties and 12 % for commercial properties in KL.
More importantly, Tengku Adnan must not think or must not be misled to think that the anger of city dwellers was merely due to their confusion about the actual amount to pay and that they would actually accept the 100 to 200% increase in their assessment rates.
He must not ever think that the people were merely confused earlier and that it is acceptable for him to go ahead with steep hike in assessment.
The people are not confused, and Tengku Adnan himself must not be confused. He must know that the hike is steep and unjustifiable and that the people anger is real and strong.
City Hall has made a grave mistake of not seeking the people’s views prior to carrying out the new valuation exercise.
Tengku Adnan must not make another mistake of going ahead with the unfair, unreasonable hike in assessment rate that will cause great burden to the people.