KUCHING, Dec 29: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak has urged the Sarawak government to reverse its decision to impose such huge increases in quit rent of between 400 and 700 per cent, saying it is unreasonable and will affect an estimated 59,000 property owners.
DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen raised this in responding to yesterday’s announcement by the Sarawak government on the revision of quit rent for various land properties in Sarawak which will take effect starting Jan 1, 2023.
“For shophouses, the increase from RM0.22 to RM1.62 per square metre is tantamount to more than 700 per cent increase on shophouse owners. For office and mixed development rate increase from 5 sen to 23 sen per square metre is more than 400 per cent increase. For industrial lots, the increase from 9 sen to 43 sen per square metre is more than 400 per cent increase.
“By any scale, these more than 400 per cent – 700 per cent increases in the government’s charges on quit rent against property owners is most exorbitant and unreasonable. The GPS (Gabungan parti Sarawak) government is ripping off property owners with the exorbitant increase of quit rent,” he said in a statement today.
Chong, who is also Padungan assemblyman, thus questioned if this is how the GPS government rewards the people of Sarawak for the huge victory that the people of Sarawak gave to GPS in delivering 76 out of 82 seats in the 2021 State Elections.
With quit rent in Sarawak a matter purely under the State government and autonomy of Sarawak, he criticised that the move clearly ran foul of the GPS’ ‘Sarawak First’ slogan.
“State autonomy should not be used to exploit the people, but should be used to help the people.
“There is still absolutely no justification for such huge increase in quit rent targeted mainly on the business sector as they affect shophouses, commercial and industrial lots and the medium to large-scale agricultural land,” he added.
Furthermore, he said the additional financial burden on the business sector will ultimately be passed on to consumers and this move by the GPS government is adding fuel to the current inflation.
“In fact, quit rent on land is merely a legacy of the British government’s land system where all landowners are deemed to be leasing their land from the government. It can be done away with and totally abolished. It is a payment by the people to the government for nothing and for no service rendered by the government.
“The services provided by the government to any land property are paid through assessment rates payable to the local authorities. The people have paid assessment rates to the government for the services rendered, such as drains, roads, street lightings, rubbish collection and more,” he said.
Therefore, instead of increasing the quit rent on these properties, Chong who is also Stampin MP, said the Sarawak government should consider abolishing all quit rents, or at least put a moratorium on the payment thereof for a certain period of time during this difficult time.
“Afterall, the Sarawak government always boasts of having billions in reserve funds. If such were the case, why further exploit the business sectors and property owners.
“If the late (Pehin Sri) Adenan (Satem) could abolish quit rent for all agricultural land below 100 acres and all residential houses back in 2016, why can’t (Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri) Abang Johari Tun Openg abolish quit rent for shophouses and commercial property?” he asked.
Calling for the State government to reverse its decision, Chong reminded that the people of Sarawak have given the GPS government a strong mandate in Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) to govern and that “this is definitely not the correct way to treat the people for their support”. — DayakDaily
