Saturday, November 30, 2013
Coming soon to Malaysia
As long as we have people like Ibrahim Ali, Hasan Ali, Nordin, Ridhuan Tee, Royal Ass and many more extremists, Malaysia will soon be walking backwards.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Asking the right questions on DBKL rates hike
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There’s been a lot of anger lately at Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) decision to increase the assessment rates of property owners and justifiably so, as a 100% to 300% increase on existing rates is a lot and would certainly be a burden to a lot of families.
Most people often forget what exactly these rates are for, why you need to pay it and what are your rights with regards to objecting this ridiculous increase.
Duties of the local council
The local council is a body corporate for all ratepayers within the defined municipality. So, any property within the borders of Kuala Lumpur would automatically make the property owner a ratepayer to DBKL.
As a body corporate, the local council is tasked with the duties of maintaining public properties (roads, street lights, drains), regulate businesses (licensing, zoning, health inspections) and remove rubbish from households.
In essence, the assessment rates are meant to pay for these services, much like how an apartment owner has to pay maintenance fees to a management body to maintain the common properties of the apartment.
Assessment rates
The Local Government Act allows property owners to be charged these rates, which are derived from a valuation exercise on the rentable value of the property. The rates will be a percentage of this total value to be made payable, up to a maximum rate of 35%.
So, say a property is valued at an annual rent value of RM10,000 and the local council decides to charge the maximum 35%, that would work out to RM3,500.
This valuation list must be gazetted and the figures will be officially used for any rates chargeable to ratepayers. So, even if property prices were to soar ten years down the road, the valuation would remain constant. Unless, of course, there’s a physical change in the property like extensions, redevelopment or even land use change which would force a revaluation exercise straight away. If you added a floor to your house and didn’t declare it to the local council, please don’t write to me asking for help.
In most cases, a local council would have done this valuation exercise at the point where the development was completed and subsequently charge between 4% to 10% of the value. In the case of MPPJ, when the council announced an increase in assessment for landed properties back in 2006, the increase was done not by doing a new valuation exercise but by increasing the rateable percentage from 8% of the property value to 8.8%.
Rates can be changed yearly subject to requirements of the budget and approval from the state government, or in the case of DBKL, the Federal Territories and Urban Wellness Ministry.
What DBKL has done in this instance however was to conduct a revaluation exercise and serve notices to the public to allow them to object to this new value. A revaluation exercise however can only be done once every five years.
Obviously, even if the payable percentage was not increased, the value based on rental prices of property today would have increased tremendously from the past 20 years when the exercise was first carried out for many property owners.
While the law does allow the public to object, the valuers would have studied market rental rates and also through surveys asking owners what their property’s rentable rates were. So, whether you live in the said property and don’t intend to rent it out; whether you cannot afford to pay the new rates; or whether the council’s services has not improved and therefore does not justify the new rates are all irrelevant points. You have to prove that the rental rates in the area are below the value ascertained by the local council, which may be impossible since there are so many advertisements out there that would allow the valuers to reach a median value to affix to your property.
In fact, the point of the objection hearing is to allow you to present any evidence that the valuers may not have considered that would actually bring down the value of your property, like having your house located next to a cemetery or a sewerage treatment plant. Only then would the government consider a lower rateable value for your property.
Asking the right questions
Even though it might be pointless to protest against the rentable value, the ratepayer can still argue that the percentage of the rateable value be lowered by the local council. There is nothing stopping DBKL from reducing the chargeable rate to 3% or even 1% of the new property valuation to approximate the previous rate you paid.
But what ratepayers lack to argue for a lower percentage is information on the council’s operations and financial situation. As such, the ratepayers must demand that DBKL justify the need for the increase in revenue.
The problem is, none of the local councils produce annual reports – or even if they did, they do not make it publicly available. Nor are the accounts available for scrutiny.
Yet an idea of what DBKL has been spending on can be found in its annual budget speeches. Since the 2014 budget speech hasn’t been made, we will have to look at the 2013 speech to have an idea of DBKL’s expenses, and that figure is a whopping budget of RM2.19 billion. Of this amount, RM1.406 billion is for management and operation expenses while the remaining RM782.6 million is for development.
These details help frame the questions we need to ask. How much is DBKL expecting to increase its revenue with this increase in assessment rates? Is DBKL planning to do some massive development next year that would necessitate a huge increase in revenue?
Learning from others
I cannot stress the importance of mounting an ongoing campaign to demand for the accounts of DBKL if Kuala Lumpur ratepayers intend to fight this issue. I will share my experience as a reporter working with Petaling Jaya ratepayers when the rates were increased in 2006.
After an ongoing six-month campaign to pressure the then Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) to release the accounts, the council finally allowed the campaign leaders to look at (but not make copies) of the council’s accounts.
In the short two hours ratepayers were allowed access to the accounts, notes were taken with pen and paper. After studying the information, the residents revealed numerous problems with the council’s management.
For example, the MPPJ had invested RM6.8 million in state bonds in 2003. This amount was subsequently written off as a bad investment. Could DBKL have made such similar bad investments and must now make up the shortfall?
MPPJ accounts also showed that a whopping RM38.6 million in unpaid assessment bills were accrued from 1999 to 2004. This has been reduced under Pakatan Rakyat rule, mainly because the main culprits for this debt were various Government Linked Corporations (GLCs) and they were all forced to pay up. What is the amount of unpaid assessment bills for DBKL?
Does DBKL have such skeletons in their closet? We will only be able to tell if ratepayers unite and form a coalition to pressure DBKL to release the accounts to the public.
MAK KHUIN WENG ran for the Bukit Gasing state constituency in 2013. He is an advocate for two major issues: freehold land titles for Petaling Jaya and the implementation of development rules in a transparent and accountable manner.
Most people often forget what exactly these rates are for, why you need to pay it and what are your rights with regards to objecting this ridiculous increase.
Duties of the local council
The local council is a body corporate for all ratepayers within the defined municipality. So, any property within the borders of Kuala Lumpur would automatically make the property owner a ratepayer to DBKL.
As a body corporate, the local council is tasked with the duties of maintaining public properties (roads, street lights, drains), regulate businesses (licensing, zoning, health inspections) and remove rubbish from households.
In essence, the assessment rates are meant to pay for these services, much like how an apartment owner has to pay maintenance fees to a management body to maintain the common properties of the apartment.
Assessment rates
The Local Government Act allows property owners to be charged these rates, which are derived from a valuation exercise on the rentable value of the property. The rates will be a percentage of this total value to be made payable, up to a maximum rate of 35%.
So, say a property is valued at an annual rent value of RM10,000 and the local council decides to charge the maximum 35%, that would work out to RM3,500.
This valuation list must be gazetted and the figures will be officially used for any rates chargeable to ratepayers. So, even if property prices were to soar ten years down the road, the valuation would remain constant. Unless, of course, there’s a physical change in the property like extensions, redevelopment or even land use change which would force a revaluation exercise straight away. If you added a floor to your house and didn’t declare it to the local council, please don’t write to me asking for help.
In most cases, a local council would have done this valuation exercise at the point where the development was completed and subsequently charge between 4% to 10% of the value. In the case of MPPJ, when the council announced an increase in assessment for landed properties back in 2006, the increase was done not by doing a new valuation exercise but by increasing the rateable percentage from 8% of the property value to 8.8%.
Rates can be changed yearly subject to requirements of the budget and approval from the state government, or in the case of DBKL, the Federal Territories and Urban Wellness Ministry.
What DBKL has done in this instance however was to conduct a revaluation exercise and serve notices to the public to allow them to object to this new value. A revaluation exercise however can only be done once every five years.
Obviously, even if the payable percentage was not increased, the value based on rental prices of property today would have increased tremendously from the past 20 years when the exercise was first carried out for many property owners.
While the law does allow the public to object, the valuers would have studied market rental rates and also through surveys asking owners what their property’s rentable rates were. So, whether you live in the said property and don’t intend to rent it out; whether you cannot afford to pay the new rates; or whether the council’s services has not improved and therefore does not justify the new rates are all irrelevant points. You have to prove that the rental rates in the area are below the value ascertained by the local council, which may be impossible since there are so many advertisements out there that would allow the valuers to reach a median value to affix to your property.
In fact, the point of the objection hearing is to allow you to present any evidence that the valuers may not have considered that would actually bring down the value of your property, like having your house located next to a cemetery or a sewerage treatment plant. Only then would the government consider a lower rateable value for your property.
Asking the right questions
Even though it might be pointless to protest against the rentable value, the ratepayer can still argue that the percentage of the rateable value be lowered by the local council. There is nothing stopping DBKL from reducing the chargeable rate to 3% or even 1% of the new property valuation to approximate the previous rate you paid.
But what ratepayers lack to argue for a lower percentage is information on the council’s operations and financial situation. As such, the ratepayers must demand that DBKL justify the need for the increase in revenue.
The problem is, none of the local councils produce annual reports – or even if they did, they do not make it publicly available. Nor are the accounts available for scrutiny.
Yet an idea of what DBKL has been spending on can be found in its annual budget speeches. Since the 2014 budget speech hasn’t been made, we will have to look at the 2013 speech to have an idea of DBKL’s expenses, and that figure is a whopping budget of RM2.19 billion. Of this amount, RM1.406 billion is for management and operation expenses while the remaining RM782.6 million is for development.
These details help frame the questions we need to ask. How much is DBKL expecting to increase its revenue with this increase in assessment rates? Is DBKL planning to do some massive development next year that would necessitate a huge increase in revenue?
Learning from others
I cannot stress the importance of mounting an ongoing campaign to demand for the accounts of DBKL if Kuala Lumpur ratepayers intend to fight this issue. I will share my experience as a reporter working with Petaling Jaya ratepayers when the rates were increased in 2006.
After an ongoing six-month campaign to pressure the then Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) to release the accounts, the council finally allowed the campaign leaders to look at (but not make copies) of the council’s accounts.
In the short two hours ratepayers were allowed access to the accounts, notes were taken with pen and paper. After studying the information, the residents revealed numerous problems with the council’s management.
For example, the MPPJ had invested RM6.8 million in state bonds in 2003. This amount was subsequently written off as a bad investment. Could DBKL have made such similar bad investments and must now make up the shortfall?
MPPJ accounts also showed that a whopping RM38.6 million in unpaid assessment bills were accrued from 1999 to 2004. This has been reduced under Pakatan Rakyat rule, mainly because the main culprits for this debt were various Government Linked Corporations (GLCs) and they were all forced to pay up. What is the amount of unpaid assessment bills for DBKL?
Does DBKL have such skeletons in their closet? We will only be able to tell if ratepayers unite and form a coalition to pressure DBKL to release the accounts to the public.
MAK KHUIN WENG ran for the Bukit Gasing state constituency in 2013. He is an advocate for two major issues: freehold land titles for Petaling Jaya and the implementation of development rules in a transparent and accountable manner.
Hiking month
November can now be remembered as the month for hiking. Hiking is good for health if you are healthy otherwise forget about it.
When a state is well managed and has a lot of foreign
investment everyone who puts in their best effort should be rewarded. I do not understand the big fuss over the pay
hike in Selangor. So what if it is 400%
or 1000%. Has anyone bother to look into
the woes of the people who are helping to run the State. You think these people are doing charity
work. Every single one of them works 24/7. Even while fucking their spouse they get a
call for this and that. Have you been to
their centre? Do you know that every
single day someone will ask for bus fare to go home because they have excuses
like losing their wallet, got rob or misplaced their purse. The people pleading
for money for spectacles, milk powder, pampers, rental, utilities, books, shoes
and many more you can think of.
Samy Vellu used to complain he gets income of RM8,000 but he
digs from his own pocket RM18,000 each month to give to the people.
Another hike bashing is the new assessment rate in Kuala
Lumpur. I was born here and will be
living here till the day I die. Many
developments have taken place since Merdeka.
We have LRT, MRT, high rise buildings, international schools, better
homes, more roads, more cars, more street lights, more shopping malls, more
people, more rubbish, more clogs and many more. As the state grows each year the need for
maintenance grows bigger and bigger. So
is it reasonable for the assessment to remain?
20 years ago my girlfriend paid RM60 for her room, today her
rent is RM280 for the same room. Her
room has never been renovated, repaired or painted yet the rent has shot up because the landlord saw fit to increase. Now this landlord is making noise about the hike in assessment. There are many like this landlord.
Today Kuala Lumpur is like a mini landfill. Everywhere you go there are rubbish on the ground, on the trees, on the fences, in the drain etc.
The biggest culprits for our mini landfills are the Pasar
Malam traders and food operators on the road side. After doing their business instead of
cleaning up they simply pack up and leave. Oil and gravy are also thrown onto
the ground without care. The smell and stink remain for at least two days if
there is no rain. Then there are some
brainless traders who will throw their unwanted goods, empty boxes and basket
into the drains. So when it rains the
whole damn drain is clogged up.
Do you know that every Wednesday my neighbours and I pray
that no-one falls sick or need medical help between 4.30pm to 10pm because the
road leading to our homes and our own gates are blocked by Pasar Malam traders’
vehicles.
Every household is given a bin by DBKL to throw their
rubbish inside but my front neighbour thinks otherwise. Everyday she either hangs her rubbish onto
the fence or throws them on the roadside. This is the kind of mentality city
folks has and she is not alone.
In Bandar Tun Razak the folks staying in apartments simply
throw their rubbish out from whichever floor they are staying in. So if you are
lucky you get to enjoy the rubbish from the sky.
So folks if you and I do not bother to lift our precious
fingers to help clean our State but want others to do the job then pay for it.
20 years ago there were only 600 workers.
Today we need more than 6,000 workers to clean Kuala Lumpur. To me 200%
hike is reasonable for our tidak apa attitude.
Why is everyone keeping mum on the ever rising of
electricity charges? Is it because it is
UMNO Sdn Bhd? If you do a forensic investigation into the charges that TNB has
been charging us for the past ten years one cannot fail to see that we have
been paying penalties for estimated and imaginary charges. Then we have meters
that automatically run faster at certain times. Why do we favour a cheating
company?
Selangor and Kuala Lumpur deserve the hike but TNB with
profit RM6.4 billion for 2013 and its CEO getting million as Bonus just
does not make cow sense.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Custom dirty tactic
We welcome foreigners by using dirty tactic to demand for bribe.
This happens daily in all entry points to Malaysia.
Foreigners do not mind paying RM50 when they can send home millions.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Richest Tax Traitor
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said those who avoid paying tax can be regarded as having betrayed the country.
This, he said, was because the responsibility to pay tax was one of the pillars of patriotism.
“The definition of patriotism in our country is that we must discharge our responsibility to the country for the good of the people and the nation.
“When we pay tax, we are helping the people. We instil this spirit, with this our country will be more successful,” he said when opening the National Economic Empowerment (Pena)
Conference at the Federal Territory Mosque auditorium here yesterday.
Also present were Second Finance minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Deputy Finance minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, who is also Pena Secretariat chairman.
Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said the time had come for the government to introduce the Goods and Service tax (GST), which will be implemented beginning April 1, 2015, because it was for the good of the people and the country’s future.
“The benefit is that we will have a stronger source of revenue to accelerate the country’s development and the people will be happier because it is based on resources that will make the progress further,” he added.
He said that towards making Malaysia a developed country by 2020, the country should have additional resources to cater to the country’s needs, especially in developing infrastructure facilities.
“If we are to look at the country’s journey, take a moment to imagine the direction of our country’s development, a country where traditional villages, small towns are given a facelift.
“We want new roads, new schools and universities and these require more allocations. So, we need revenue. Otherwise, who is going to pay for all these.
“The other option is to take loans, but if we continue to borrow, what will happen, (if) we cannot pay, the country’s rating will drop, we will be bankrupt, the people will suffer, we cannot manage the country like this,” he added.
Najib also hit out at the opposition for making various promises, as well as, at times, objecting to the implementation of GST, but later supporting it.
“(When) we administer the country, there has to be a sense of responsibility, we admit there may be possible leakages, but we have the determination to correct it, that is why we make public the Audit General’s Report. No country is perfect,” he added.
On empowering the bumiputeras, he said it had been made a national agenda to ensure the group shared the country’s wealth fairly. — Bernama
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Malaysia in the hands of foreigners
UMNO does not trust its own people - the Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Orang Asli and others.
Yet UMNO put our lives in the hands of the Bangla, Pakistani, Arabs, Africans, Indons and Terrorists.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Tiga Line the soul of UMNO
Based on her five -year research in Malaysia, French PhD holder Sophie Lemiere said that the NGO Pekida or Tiga Line alludes its allegiance and loyalty to the Malay community, royalty and Islam.
This can be seen in its symbol of red (for blood), yellow (royalty) and green (Islam), she said.
Lemiere added that based on her extensive interviews with its members and Internet search, groups like Pekida are a complex network of discreet NGOs created by gangs for which political militancy is a business.
"Pekida is a generic name used to describe an intricate network of gangs and NGOs.
"In reality, the name Pekida is the name of one of those numerous NGOs created by this network to offer political support, legalise part of their activity, and ease the reception of funds from the ruling party," she noted.
Lemiere said there may be other groups that call themselves Pekida but go under another name as well or may not be linked with Pekida.
She added that the two main notions to be highlighted are the common challenge for any gang for survival and the best way to secure survival is through power and money.
**'Power and money driving force'**
"The main objectives of the group is power, profit and money, which imply that members are involved in illegal activities, and may use different degrees of violence," she said.
"Its basic ambition is often reshaped into ideological terms in order to facilitate recruitment, group coalition and justifying the use of violence," she added.
"Sustainability of the group is ensured by adaptation to political and social changes. A gangs' identity may change according to opportunity," she stressed.
Lemiere said political situations which are in transition are favourable to the development of gangs and open opportunities for relationships with political parties.
In this context, gangs may become entrepreneur of politics, or connivance militant, to whom political actions are subcontracted in order to maintain political power, she added.
"It's like an angry chameleon, which can change color and shape anytime, but always remain with a violent potential," she said.
Lemiere, who just received her PhD from Sciences-Po (L'Institut d'études politiques) Paris on Ethno-nationalist and Islamic movements in Malaysia, was in Penang to present her paper in Universiti Sains Malaysia yesterday.
Her paper, 'Gangsters and Masters: Connivance Militancy in Contemporary Malaysia' was based on research from 2008 to April this year.
Lemiere is based in Singapore and affiliated with the Asian Research Institute of the National University of Singapore.
Pekida boys in police uniform beating up Bersih supporters. UMNO and PDRM openly support them.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Uprising within MOE
Some say there is hope and some have given up hope.
In Malaysia I know of many who have given up hope seeing a Government that knows how to manage a country.
Everyday the Prime Minister and his arrogant bitch are promoting themselves or are having a luxury holidays outside Malaysia spending our money.
Every other day the Prime Minister opens his mouth with worthless speeches, quotes, proclamations and promises.
Yet his ears and eyes refused to acknowledge the plead of the Rakyat.
Next week there is a schedule meet in Langkawi to discuss the MOE Blue print. After many complaints and anger by Government servants how they were sidelined by the consultants, KSU Dr Madinah Mohamad finally had the courage to stop the consultants from attending the meet in Langkawi. She gave an ultimatum to the government that she will walk out and start a nationwide protest for a week if any consultants were to be presence at the meet.
This is only a small step by a Government Servant.
So how many more will join her?
In the meantime we are still paying big buck to Pemandu and Talent Corpse for doing what Government Servants have been doing for the past 56 years.
A polish politician vs a street gangster politician
Time and again they show their arrogance without the use of God Given Brain.
It is time like these we wish PDRM will do the same as they do with the Indians.
Monday, November 11, 2013
New Attorney-General
Smiles and laughter all round.
Beautiful scene of a loving couple sharing same interest.
Now that the Attorney General seat is available there are many opportunities.
So will the hubby spend time alone in a cell so that the wife and daughter can share the same bed with the new man?
When one worship money and power all obstacles must be remove.
Don't know how JUST ASK ROSIE.
Second Suspect
Wajah Rakan Penembak Pegawai Bank Yang Di Buru Polis Tersebar?
Mengikut kenyataan yang di keluarkan oleh pihak Polis DiRaja Malaysia .. polis kini sedang memburu rakan sejenayah pengawal keselamatan yang membunuh pegawai operasi AmBank dan membawa lari RM450,000 yang telah pun berjaya di berkas di Kota Tinggi semalam dan kini di reman selama 7 hari atas perintah Majistret Petaling Jaya.
Difahamkan sebahagian besar wang samun itu berada di tangan rakan sejenayahnya bernama Joemar.
Jika diambil dari semakan dan risikan keatas akaun Facebook Pengawal Keselamatan tersebut maka dipercayai wajah Joemar itu adalah apa yang di hebahkan di atas.
Question to PDRM
KUALA LUMPUR: The Indonesian suspect in the AmBank murder-and-robbery has led police to the pump gun he allegedly used. It was found Monday in a drain some 500m from the crime scene.
Laode Ardina Laude Rasila, 35, arrived in chains at around 10.30am and walked officers to a row of car repair shops here along Jalan Subang Persiaran Penaga.
He later pointed to a drain. Police officers found the pump gun he had thrown away when he was escaping from the AmBank branch he robbed on Oct 23.
He was later taken back to the Subang Jaya police headquarters.
Subang Jaya OCPD ACP Yahaya Ramli police retrieved the weapon at around 11am.
A two-hour forensics investigation began soon after while police swept the rest of the area for other evidence.
According to a police source, the pump gun still had four rounds of ammunition in it, but he declined to say how many shots had been discharged.
The security guard, who was caught trying to flee the country in Johor on Sunday, allegedly shot dead bank officer Norazita Abu Talib, 37, before running off with RM450, 000 from the bank's vault.
It was revealed that his MyKad was fake.
*********************************************
Is it not a standard procedure to check 1000 m from any crime scene for evidences?
It is time PDRM close down and a new uniform body be form under a proper management and capable authority. Day in day out we get trash cans heading the various ministries and departments.
You rob, they rob, we flop
Post by My Hobby House.
A professional takes a few second to break in.
But these two took more than 6 mins and still fail to break in.
Time for a change don't you think so?
Ambank Killer whose fault?
EC and the UMNO Government must be held responsible for this kind of mess.
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