KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — The government’s move to reduce the assessment rate by 25 per cent for owners of affordable homes in the capital shows that the government is listening to the grouses of city dwellers who are increasingly affected by the cost of living issue.

Civil servant Husnah Ahmad, 32, said the move showed the concern and sensitivity of the Unity Government towards the plight of the B40 and M40 groups in the capital.

Living in a Malaysia Civil Servant Housing Programme (PPAM) premises in Sentul since 2019, she admitted to having to pay an assessment rate of RM159.50 to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) every six months, or RM312 a year.

"The money that can be saved in the assessment rate can be used for other purposes such as helping residents to pay the monthly maintenance costs that need to be paid to the housing management or fire insurance,” she said.

However, Husnah hopes that the move, which also involves a reduction of RM2.067 million in revenue for DBKL, will not affect the maintenance of public infrastructure facilities such as street lights, recreational parks and public playgrounds.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a 25 per cent discount in assessment rates from the second term of 2023 (July to December 2023) for affordable homeowners in Kuala Lumpur.

The categories of homeowners eligible for the initiative are the Federal Territories Affordable Housing Programme (RUMAWIP), 1Malaysia Housing Programme (PR1MA), and PPAM and Residensi Wilayah in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, private sector employee Anis Amira Zamani, 31, said that although the payment only needed to be made twice a year, the reduction could still ease the cost of living in the city which was quite high at the moment.

Anis who is the owner of a house at Residensi Wilayah Semarak added that the money saved could also be used to top up personal savings for the future.

"The Prime Minister’s announcement proves that the government listens to the complaints and grievances of the city folks who are increasingly affected by the high cost of living of late.

"It is hoped that the government will be able to announce more good news in reducing the cost of living not only for city dwellers but for all Malaysians in general,” she said.

Nur Serena Emrizan, 34, meanwhile, said she hoped that with the reduced assessment rates, homeowners would make their due payments on time so that the authorities could utilise the revenue for the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama