By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Dec 10: Sarawak’s assessment rate remains among the lowest in Malaysia, having stayed unchanged since the 1970s despite rising operational and public service costs over the decades.
In a Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas) news, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian noted that even parking fees in Sarawak are still only 20 sen across all local councils, a rate that has remained the same for decades.
In contrast, he pointed out that many local authorities in other states have increased their assessment rates, with parking fees now reaching up to RM1 per hour.
“Why do we maintain this? Because every council member and all involved work tirelessly to support the people and ensure the cost of living does not rise,” he said at the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) Awards Ceremony on Tuesday (Dec 9).
Dr Sim, who is also the MPHLG Minister, urged local councils to continue upholding high standards, particularly in delivering Sarawak’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) roadmap.
He said Sarawak’s SDG implementation already exceeds the national average but must continue to reflect what he described as the higher “Borneo Forest standard”.
“What matters is that our Sarawak SDG Roadmap, whether for city councils, municipal councils or rural district councils, remains above the national average.
“And what does that mean? It means we perform better than at least 50 per cent of the country, if not higher.
“This ‘Borneo Forest standard’ is essential because as Sarawak progresses, by 2030 the State will look very different from today,” he said.
Also present were MPHLG Deputy Ministers Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee and Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, ministry’s permanent Secretary Datu Elizabeth Loh, Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng, and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) Chairman Cr Tan Kai. — DayakDaily
