More than just a linguistic relic

THE term “quit rent” used to make me shake my head. Quit what? Rent where? I knew it meant cukai tanah, but I never bothered with its origins because the costs were inconsequential.

A Tanjung Bungah terrace property was charged RM60 a year. A house in Island Glades with a large garden, RM80. A piece of farmland in Seberang Perai, RM3.