Kuantan folk fuming over rate hike plan
12/12/2006 The Star By FARIDAH BEGUM

KUANTAN: Irate property owners here have been practically banging down the doors of the Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK) over the past few days following letters by the council over increased assessment rates.

A property owner, Philip Thum, called up the moment he received the letter which stated that he had until Dec 18 to register his objection to the proposed increase.

“The letter, however, did not state at what percentage the rate to be paid will be,” he said.

Thum, who lives in the Air Putih area along Jalan Beserah here, said many of his neighbours were also unhappy with the proposal.

MPK secretary Zainuddin Idris, when contacted, called on property owners not to overreact or give in to their emotions but instead register their objections within the deadline so that their views could be taken into account and brought to the attention of the state.

“The council has proposed that although the assessment has been revised to reflect current value of the property, which has not been done over the past 10 years, the percentage to be paid may not be at the current rate of 10.5% or at the levels they are currently being charged,” he said.

The value of land and property in the capital had appreciated over the past decade but efforts to adjust the value and to take into account the expansion of certain properties by the owners themselves, which had not been submitted for approval to the council, had only been done over the past year.

The state, said Zainuddin, would make the final decision over the quantum of assessment.