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Folks want reduction in quit
rent
The Star 2/12/2006 By BAVANI M
FOR the past 35 years, residents living in medium cost apartments in Jalan
Poah and Jalan Gajus off Jalan Loke Yew have been charged quit rent at a
commercial rate by the Federal Territory Land Office.
The residents, the majority who are over 60 years of age, did not realise
this until Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai highlighted it recently.
Nancy Cheong, 62 ,said that she was in the dark about the rates until
recently.
“This is a residential unit and we are not doing business here yet we have
to pay the commercial rates,'' Cheong said, referring to her tiny apartment.
(Pic) Tan with the residents of the medium cost apartments in Jalan Poah and
Jalan Gajus.
Liew Poh, 78, who has been living here for over 30 years said that the extra
charge was burning a hole in his pocket.
“The rates are high and now that we know that there's been a mistake we hope
that it can be corrected,'' he said.
Tan said there were five blocks of apartments with 152 units.
“To make matters worse, early this year the Land Office had even increased
their rates,'' he said.
According to Tan, the commercial rates vary from one area to another.
“The rates are basically divided into properties in city centre, housing
estates and outskirts of the city and though the residents in Jalan Poah and
Jalan Gajus are living in the city centre, their dwelling is residential
stature,'' he said.
Tan said the rate for residential units is RM0.72 per square feet while
commercial is RM4.60.
“After surveying the area, I visited the land office in June and highlighted
this discrepancy to the officer there and even provided them with all the
documentation,'' he said.
“We followed up on the issue two weeks later and to our surprise the
documents we gave them had gone missing. They did not even have our files
with them,'' said Tan.
He said officers from the land office then agreed to visit the area to see
for themselves that residents are living in a residential property.
“We hope that this matter will be resolved as soon as possible as residents
have been penalised enough ,'' he said.
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