Panel to tackle quit rent
08/08/2006 The Star

A SPECIAL committee has been set up to look into complaints by the Ke-dah Chinese Assembly Hall (KCAH) over the new quit rent issue.

State Industry, Transporta-tion, Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Chinese Com- munity Affairs Committee chairman, Datuk Chong Itt Chew said the commit- tee would find the best solution to end the quit rent pro-blem.

Chong, when met at a dialogue session with KCAH in Alor Star, said he would chair the committee with Datuk Beh Heng Siong as vice-chairman.

He added that state Land and Mine deputy director Noh Dahya, KCAH, Kedah Chinese Chamber of Com-merce and Industry and the Chinese Chambers of Com-merce and Industry of Cen-tral and South Kedah would also be on the committee.

He has also invited the state Bar Council, MCA, Gerakan and also Malay and Indian business associations to join in.

In early June, KCAH was seeking advice from the Kedah Bar Council to ascertain whether the state had contravened the National Land Code when revising the quit rent.

It was also reported that many Kedahans were unhappy with the state government's rebate offer.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalil had said that a rebate up to 50% would be given to certain sectors for three years.

KCAH had noted that the people did not want the rebate offer because it was only good for three years.

The people want the quit rent to be reduced.