Unhappy over review
08/06/2007 The Star

MORE than 30,000 people in Alor Star have signed a petition to express their dissatisfaction over alleged mistakes made in the Quit Rent Re-view 2005.

Special Committee Against Quit Rent Review chairman David Lim said the signature campaign to garner public support was initiated by the committee on May 23.

“I hope the authorities will declare the latest quit rent review as null and void because we believe the criteria used in calculating the new rates have contravened the National Land Code,” he said.

Lim said the committee had tried to highlight the mistakes to the state authorities over the last 18 months.

“We have even given a memorandum to the Mentri Besar on two occasions.

“However the state authorities did not give a positive response,” he added.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid had said that the state was willing to listen to public grouses and there was no need to be confrontational.

In a statement released to the press yesterday, the committee denied being confrontational.

“The people are not confronting the state government.

“We want to inform the Mentri Besar that the government has made a serious mistake (in the quit rent review) that causes great hardship to the people.

“We are requesting for a rectification,” he said.

Lim said the special committee had sought the advice of a panel of legal advisers including senior and experienced experts in constitutional laws before highlighting the mistakes to the state authorities.