MPs: Message clear although only 20,000 letters submitted

Photo: Roketkini

News: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2013/12/17/MPs-Message-clear-although-only-20000-letters-submitted.aspx (17/12/2013)

THE message is clear and it does not matter if the numbers are small, said Kuala Lumpur MPs from Pakatan who led the gathering at Dataran DBKL yesterday.

“We are here to deliver a message that the assessment fees are too high and should be dropped.

“It may not be 500,000, but 20,000 (objection letters) is a significant number to collect from residents.

“I hope the Government gets the message to do something to ease the inflationary rates,” said Batu MP Tian Chua.

Both Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said the number of Kuala Lumpur residents who turned up at the DBKL headquarters was encouraging.

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, who submitted more than 8,000 letters from Seputeh residents, said it was a good turnout especially among the senior citizens from her constituency who came in two buses.

More than 20,000 objection letters were handed over to the mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib at the City Hall headquarters yesterday.

Meanwhile, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said DBKL’s insufficient funds might be a cause for the local authority’s inefficiency.

He said this in response to outcry from Kuala Lumpur residents and opposition MPs over the proposed hike in assessment that is set to be implemented come Jan 1, 2014.

“It is not the assessment rate that is being increased but the valuation of rental. We have not come up with the amount that is going to be charged.

“As we have said, we will look into residents’ complaints and a special panel will evaluate it. Only then will the new fees be decided,” Tengku Adnan said during an event yesterday.

He said that the opposition were confusing the public by spinning the issue.

“We are running a local government. Yes, I accept that may be we are still inefficient, but the question is also why. Perhaps we do not have the funds to be fully efficient,” he added.

When asked why the assessment charges have not been increased for 21 years, Tengku Adnan said: “Perhaps we have overlooked this before. But residents need not worry as we will come up with an amicable sum that will not burden the people. “