KUCHING, Dec 29 — Sarawak DAP today called on the state government to call off its decision to increase quit rent on property from January 1, 2023, as many people are still struggling financially post-pandemic.

Alternatively, the state government could postpone payment for the exorbitant hike to a later date, its chairman Chong Chieng Jen suggested. "With the announcement, more than 59,000 property owners will be heavily hit by the hikes in quit rents of their property starting on January 1, 2023.

"For shophouses, the increase from 22 sen to RM1.62 per square metre is more than 700 per cent,” he said in a statement.

Chong, who is both Padungan assemblyman and Stampin MP, also highlighted the over 400 per cent increase in the rate for property for office and mixed development, from 5 sen to 23 sen per square metre. He said the same was true for industrial lots, which would see the quit rent go from 9 sen to 43 sen per square metre in the new year.

"By any scale, these more than 400 to 700 per cent increases in the government’s charges on quit rents against property owners are most exorbitant and unreasonable. "If such increases in prices were imposed by any private sector or company on its customers, they will definitely be convicted and punished under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act,” Chong added.

He noted that quit rent in Sarawak is a matter purely under the state government’s autonomy.

He claimed there was no justification for such a sharp hike, adding that such huge increases was contrary to the state ruling coalition’s "Sarawak First” slogan. "The state autonomy should not be used to exploit the people, but should be used to help them,” he said.

He said the services provided by the government to any land property are paid through assessment rates payable to the local authorities.

"The people have paid assessment rates to the government for the services rendered, for example, drains, roads, street lightings and rubbish collection,” he added.

Chong noted that former chief minister the late Tan Sri Adenan Satem had abolished quit rent for all agricultural land below 100 acres and all residential houses back in 2016.

"Instead of carrying out the good legacy of the late Adenan, the present GPS government is reversing the good deeds of the former chief minister by increasing the quit rent thus adding additional financial burden on business sector, which ultimately will be passed on to consumers,” he said.