THE Selangor government's decision to slap a 25 per cent increase in local council assessment rates, effective January 1, 2025, is set to make life more difficult for the people, stressed the MCA.
In a statement, its Selangor Wanita chief, Tee Hooi Ling said while the increase has been justified as necessary for infrastructure and public service upgrades, the reality is that the burden will be passed down to consumers.
“Businesses and factories will likely raise prices, intensifying the financial strain on Selangor residents.
“Similarly, landlords are expected to increase rents, further exacerbating living costs for tenants. The justification for this rate hike is undermined by the lack of noticeable improvements in public services,” she said.
She said the recent royal rebuke over the Selangor government’s failure to address cleanliness and flood mitigation issues in Klang highlights the inefficiency of local authorities. Despite the strong criticism, the action only came after the royal intervention, reflecting poor governance and a failure to meet public expectations, she added.
She said that while exemptions for low-cost housing and targeted relief for village homes have been announced, these measures do little to ease the impact on the broader population.
“Every affected consumer will still bear the brunt of the increased costs.
“This jump comes at a time when Selangor residents are already struggling with a series of new taxes and price hikes introduced by the Pakatan-led federal government.
“Just this year alone, Malaysians were coerced to embrace the Sales and Service Tax being bumped up from 6% to 8%; service tax expanded hitting more items, Indah Water Konsortium charges and electricity rates went up, subsidies for RON95 withdrawn, 10% high-value goods tax, 10% capital gains tax, 10% tax for imported low-value goods purchased online and others, further straining household budgets,” she pointed out.
PH had promised to reduce the financial burden on the rakyat, yet their actions clearly contradict this pledge, she said.
“Instead of easing the cost of living, they are introducing more taxes and fees, making life more difficult for Selangor residents,”.
She said Wanita MCA Selangor urges the state government to reconsider the rate hike, potentially introducing a tiered increase starting at 5 per cent, or implementing a moratorium on the hike altogether.
“Elected representatives and local councillors must also engage with constituents and address their grievances on the ground.
“The Selangor government must honour its promises and relieve the financial pressures on the rakyat, rather than further burdening them with these new taxes,” she added. - December 13, 2024
