AFFECTED residential property owners will receive their land premium refunds anytime now as the Land and Survey Department is giving their cases top priority.
DISILLUSIONED: Brothers Sim Teck Seng (left) and Eng Hock feel they are being penalised.
Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan confirmed this during the recent State Assembly sitting in response to a question from Wong Ho Leng (DAP-Bukit Assek).
Since the announcement of the new land premiums in 2009, property owners have welcomed the revised rates and looked forward to their full implementation but they became disillusioned when the refunds were slow in coming.
Mechanic Sim Eng Hock was one of the property owners disappointed with the delay in the disbursement of the refunds.
In 2009, he and his siblings and their octogenarian mother all pitched in to settle the premium, amounting to RM46,140, for their property at Kuching Central Land, Jalan Ong Tiang Swee Road.
According to the new schedules, the premium has been slashed to RM6,140 – meaning the Sims would be refunded RM40,000 and they were elated.
Like many other property owners who had overpaid, they were hopeful of getting their refund after filling in the forms at the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) centre in Kuching.
But till now, they have yet to receive any payment. They have gone to the Land and Survey Department numerous times but on each occasion, were told “the procedures take time” and they had to wait.
“My family and I are law-abiding citizens. We were told we had to pay the premium and we did so even though we did not have that kind of cash readily in hand,” Sim said.
The brothers all chipped in but it was still not enough. Eventually, their mother had to use her savings to top up.
She did not want the property – the only one she has ever owned – to be taken away from her family – even if it meant putting up all her savings to do it.
After the recent State Assembly sitting, Sim read an article in the newspaper, saying refunds of overpaid premiums had been made.
He immediately went back to the Land and Survey Department to check on his case but this time, he was told his application had been rejected and he would be informed in due course.
“I was furious when the officer told me this. And the reason he gave was that my salary was over RM800. What has this to do with giving us a refund for overpaying our premium? Is it a selective refund, considering residents in certain areas have already got theirs?
“I would not have felt so bad if everyone were treated the same. If you want to refund, then refund all – not only selected groups,” he said.
Sim felt they were being penalised for working hard to earn more than RM800 per month, stressing: “But bear in mind, we slog to earn our keep.”
The Sims have taken out a loan to renovate their ancestral home which is over 60 years old, and and they need the money (from the refund) to repay the bank.
There are 12 people from three families living in the house. Presently, they are renting while waiting for the renovation to be completed.
However, even for those who have received their refunds, they still can’t get their money because of errors in the cheques.
Pointed out Kenyalang Park house owner Yong Poh Fah: “I can’t understand why the Department wrote to inform us (he and siblings) of the refund and yet when I went over to collect the cheque, it was issued in the name of my brother who had passed away.”
Another Kenyalang Park property owner Leong Ying Chin was overjoyed after receiving the letter from the Department, advising that his application for refund was accepted. But he was to discover later his name was wrongly typed on the cheque.
Yet another property owner from the same area, Pang Nee Ngan said he felt short-changed after getting the cheque which was RM1,300 less than the actual amount.
The trio have gone back to Department to sort out the mistakes but are still in the dark as to the outcome.
“We understand there are many names and checks to write but what we cannot understand is why they are so slow in rectifying these simple mistakes.”
However, the four of them – Sim, Yong, Leong and Pang – are hopeful things will change for the better.
The positive response of the Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management has reassured them that the government is, indeed, looking after their welfare and this has given them a glimmer of hope.
Meanwhile, Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) has appealed to the government to refund these property owners as soon as possible.
“It’s not fair to prolong their anguish. After all, refunds have already been made to the other property owners in the area,” she said.