Tengku Adnan must remember his often repeated promise that he will not burden the rakyat with unreasonable hike in assessment rate

On November 25, 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.

He also said that it was also possible that there would not be any increase in rates for property owners living in their own houses. He added that another way is to implement the increase by stages.

Then on the next day, he said that property owners were confused about the increase in assessment rate 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.

Yesterday, he again said that the Opposition were confusing the people after 80,000 ratepayers had submitted their objection letters in accordance with section 142 of the 1976 Local Government Act.

It is not true as claimed by Tengku Adnan that the people are confused. He should not try to insult the rate payers’ intelligence.

Just because his wife who, according to his public revelation, has misunderstood the rates that she has to pay for her properties, it does not mean that many or majority ratepayers have also misunderstood.

Tengku Adnan himself seems like a confused person. He does not understand that rate payers have made objections due to two considerations:

1. That the huge increase in the new annual value will bring about big hike in their property assessment rates if the current percentage rates imposed remain unchanged.
2. That irrespective of whether there will be changes in the percentage rates, objections can be made if there are grounds that the properties have been overvalued.

Being confused on the assessment rate issue, Tengku Adnan has made quite a few confusing remarks since last month.

But I wish to remind him not to be misled by his own confusion. He must not for a moment think that rate payers are only confused and can accept any unfair and unjustified increase in their assessment rates.

As the Minister empowered to decide on the confirmation of the new annual value list and imposition of percentage rates, he should make good his often repeated promise that he will not burden the people with unreasonable hike in the assessment rates.