By THO XIN YI
LANDOWNERS have to now pay a higher contribution to the state’s cemetery trust fund.
Selangor
Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said this requirement was
applicable to those seeking to transfer the ownership or convert the
land use to residential or mixed development.
He said the fund was for the state government to acquire suitable land for burial sites.
He
added that the old rate of RM62.50 per lot had been increased to either
RM300 or RM500, depending on the locations of the residential lots to
reflect the present land value.
“Previously, for residential development below 100ha, the contribution was RM62.50 per residential lot.
“However,
the amount is too little compared with the current land value which
increases every six months according to the Selangor Valuation and
Property Services Department.
“Therefore, we are fixing RM500 for
each residential lot in Petaling, Klang, Gombak, Hulu Langat, Sepang
and Kuala Langat and RM300 for Kuala Selangor, Sabak Bernam and Hulu
Selangor,” he said during the recent state assembly.
He said this in response to a question raised by Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh.
When
met later, Yeoh said the question was asked based on the experience of
Bukit Gasing residents, who were required to fork out RM500 for the fund
when they wanted to renew their leasehold titles.
“They wanted to know what the money is used for.
“Some
of them, especially non-Muslims, have already bought private burial
plots, so they questioned the need for the contribution,” she said.
Yeoh said she would push for a meeting in Bukit Gasing for Khalid and the Land Office to explain the fund to the people.
“According
to Khalid’s explanation, this contribution will be a long-term solution
to the problem of insufficient cemeteries in the state.
“If the
state government cannot afford to acquire land for cemeteries, it will
be more expensive for the people to buy burial plots in the future,” she
said.
Meanwhile, Khalid revealed that RM16.8mil had been collected for the fund as of December last year.
He
added that all district land offices had been told to identify suitable
sites that could be acquired under the Land Acquisition Act to be
turned into cemeteries.
“The cost will be borne by the trust fund or relevant landowners or developers,” he said.
It
was reported in 2003 that those owning 202ha of land or more must
provide cemeteries for Muslims and non-Muslims in their development.
The
then state executive councillor Datuk Mokhtar Dahalan was quoted as
saying that those who could not do so had to provide alternative land,
or contribute RM62.50 to the cemetery trust fund for each residential
lot approved.
The fund will enable the government to buy land for cemeteries.
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