Property owners object to revised assessment

JOHOR BARU: About 3,850 property owners around here have filed objections with the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) over their revised assessment rates.

Johor Baru Mayor Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman (pic) said the objections were not on the assessment rate imposed by the city council, but on their property values.

“Only 1.1% out of the 350,000 property owners within MBJB’s jurisdiction have filed their objection to the increase in property assessment. The remaining property owners who want to file their objection have until Tuesday (today) to do so.

“We will review existing laws on whether MBJB can extend the objection date for property owners to do the filing,” he said when met after chairing the MBJB full council meeting here yesterday.

Mohd Noorazam said the city council would then call up all of the property owners who have filed objections.

“MBJB will be holding a series of townhalls with these property owners from Nov 6-9.

“During this session, these property owners must have their evidence, including having their own valuer (or valuation reports) that has assessed their properties to see if their property value is the same as that we have given them.

“If they are able to show concrete arguments that their houses have not undergone anything that made their value increase, then MBJB will make the necessary adjustment to their assessment rate,” he said.

Mohd Noorazam added that if these property owners could not afford to make the assessment payments, they are encouraged to discuss the matter with MBJB.

“They can make their assessment payments via instalments if they want to,” he said, adding that the majority of the property owners who have filed their objection were those in the T20 group living in affluent residential areas.

Five local councils in Johor are revising the assessment payable, which takes effect on Jan 1, 2024.

Besides MBJB, the other local councils are Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG), Kluang Municipal Council (MPK) and Pengerang Municipal Council (MPP).

Assessment (also known as cukai taksiran or cukai pintu), which had not been revised in Johor since 2013, is a tax imposed on each proportional holding, including vacant land, within the local council area in accordance with the powers granted under the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171).

Last Thursday, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said various methods and rates are under consideration to ensure the increase does not place an undue financial burden on residents, given the economic challenges and rising cost of living.