Joy comes in reduced land premiums

Thursday, 19 January 2012 07:48

Owners of land in New Villages in Pokok Assam, Aulong, Simpang and Kamunting received Chinese New Year cheer in the form of reduced valuation rates for their land, benefiting some 25,000 people.

Pokok Assam Barisan Nasional coordinator Datuk Ho Cheng Wang said the reduction meant that the residents would be paying less for their land premiums when renewing their leases.

The reduction came about after Ho, who is also the Bukit Gantang MCA chairman, wrote to the Valuation Department and pointed out that land in Kampung Simee New Village, Ipoh is only valued at RM130 per sqm.

“Kg Simee enjoys a host of facilities, but their land value remainsless than other New Villages here, which does not have such facilities,” he said at a press conference attended by village chiefs of Pokok Assam and Kamunting.

Lots in the New Villages of Pokok Assam, Aulong, Simpang and Kamunting were originally valued at RM330/sqm, RM190/sqm, RM160/sqm and RM130/sqm respectively.

Ho said under the revised rate, the lots are now valued at RM130/sqm for New Villages in Pokok Assam, Aulong and Simpang while Kamunting are valued at RM105/sqm.

Following the new valuation rate, Ho said a lot owner in Pokok Assam would only be paying about RM9,375 when renewing a 60-year lease instead of the RM23,800 calculated using the old valuation rate.

“Should the same lot owner opt to renew the lot for 99 years, he only needs to pay RM6,188 according to the new rate compared to RM15,708 using the old rate.

“Hence, residents should consider renewing their titles for 99 years as it is cheaper compared to 60-year leases,” he added.

Ho said the new rate was effective from Dec 20 last year and those who had renewed their leases under the old valuation rate can submit their appeals for a refund to the Land and Mines Department.

“With the Chinese New Year around the corner, this is good news for the villagers,” he said.

Earlier on, Ho and local MCA members visited the home of bed-ridden Lee Ah Chiou, 93, in Pokok Assam to get her thumb prints and those of her two children, Ng Poo Chuan, 70 and Ng Teow Bok, 68, for the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) applications.

Both Lee and Poo Chuan, who cannot walk, are getting RM300 monthly allowances each from the Welfare Department.

Ho also handed over a cheque of RM8,500 from the 1MCA Medical Foundation to construction worker, Tan Lum Onn, 40, who fell from a double-storey house last year as he was fixing a roof.

Tan injured his spine and needed several surgeries, costing him RM8,500.

From The Star