www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kl-residents-associations-band-together-to-fight-assessment-rate-hikeKL residents’ associations band together to fight assessment rate hike
November 19, 2013
A neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur. Several residents’ associations plan to protest City Hall's proposed hike in assessments rates, between 100% to 1000%. – The Malaysian Insider pic, November 19, 2013.A neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur. Several residents’ associations plan to protest City Hall's proposed hike in assessments rates, between 100% to 1000%. – The Malaysian Insider pic, November 19, 2013.A movement comprising at least 30 residents' associations is being organised to tell City Hall that property owners in Kuala Lumpur are united against a proposed hike in assessment rates, which is seen as exorbitant.
Representatives from the residents’ associations of Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar Baru, Lucky Garden and Bangsar Park will meet today where a proposal will be raised to gather at least 30 other residents’ associations in Kuala Lumpur.
Bukit Bandaraya residents’ association president Datuk Mumtaz Ali said the last time the Draft KL City Plan 2020 was in progress, they had formed a loose coalition among 30 other residents’ associations to offer their input.
"At the meeting tomorrow (Tuesday), we will discuss the possibility of joining forces with them again so that we will be able to speak with a bigger voice," Mumtaz told The Malaysian Insider.
He is also in the midst of preparing a template letter of objection, to be handed out to all residents in his area to register their protests individually.
Yesterday, Pakatan Rakyat MPs in Kuala Lumpur urged city dwellers to protest against the proposed hike in assessment rates by sending objection letters to City Hall before December 17.
City Hall have already started sending out notices to all property owners in Kuala Lumpur informing them of the proposed hike in rates, which was between 100% and 1,000%.
The notices, however, stated that if there are objections to the proposed hike, property owners must register their objections with City Hall before December 17.
"We want residents to individually register their protest. We will then collect copies of their letters, compile them in a memorandum from the association and send them in.
"We are doing it this way because we don't want City Hall to knock us out later by saying that there were not that many objections," Mumtaz said.
He pointed out that Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who had attended a dinner organised by the Bangsar Baru RA on Saturday, said in his brief address that he would look into the objections.
"The minister addressed the issue of the proposed hike at the dinner because it is a hot topic and while he explained the reasons for the hike, he told us to send in our objections and said he would look into them," Mumtaz said.
According to Mumtaz, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar had also attended the dinner, and had said she would raise the matter up in Parliament.
He added that once the template for the objection letter was ready later this week, he would share it with others.
Bangsar Baru Residents’ Association secretary Prem Kumar Nair said that the meeting would also discuss the memorandum which they planned to send to Tengku Adnan and City Hall Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib.
"We will also discuss how we can protest against this move together. We are the stakeholders and we want justification on the proposed rate hike from the people in charge," Prem told The Malaysian Insider.
Tengku Adnan had earlier defended the proposed hike, saying the assessment rate had remained unchanged for the past 21 years.
He said residents have until December 17 to submit feedback, as it was not the final decision, adding that the Government would take their objections into consideration and discuss the best approach before "coming up with a win-win solution".
In a press conference yesterday, Nurul Izzah called the decision "totally unacceptable", branding the excuses for the rate increase as "ridiculous".
"The excuse that the assessment fee has not been increased for 21 years is not good enough. If at all the rates have to be hiked up, it should be done in stages and not at one go," she said.
"It will also be a burden to those who rent properties in KL. Landlords would be forced to increase rental rates because of the assessment fee.”
The Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president said the hike cannot be justified as City Hall's services have decreased over the years.
Echoing her, Wangsa Maju MP Dr Tan Kee Kwong noted that the prices of fuel and sugar have increased.
"The cost of living is rising. How are people going to cope?" he asked. – November 19, 2013.
??