No Quit-Rent for Places of Worship

MPSJ : RM 1,000 ANNUAL PERMIT

On February 18th, an article in The Sun has revealed that MPSJ draft local plan proposed to introduce Annual Permit of RM1,000 to all shop and factory lots used for worship purposes. It was reported after Seputeh MP Teresa Kok issued a statement urging the churches in MPSJ to take serious concern on this draft plan and former Subang Jaya ADUN Lee Hwa Beng responded with 'clarification'.

TIME FOR CHANGE

Our ADUN Hannah Yeoh was gripped by this issue and poured her thoughts on her blog : The Cost of Free Workship. Here quoted "The Federal Constitution clearly provides for an individual’s right to profess and practice his religion. If there is a need to apply for permit, we immediately assume a possibility of rejection. Freedom to practice one's religion is violated the moment a law is imposed to restrict such freedom." She ended the statement with a calling to the Rakyat : "Time for Change".

On March 8th, Subang Jayans did the change. Today, we see the first positive effect.

FIRST STEP : NO QUIT-RENT

March 26 - Today, our new Selangor MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has announced that there will be no more quit rent and assessment rates for all registered places of worship in Selangor, and a token annual fee of only RM1 will be introduced instead. Even though this is only limited to registered places of worship at this stage (which there are probably only one Buddist Temple and one Church in Subang Jaya 'qualified'), this move shown that the new Selangor Government (Barisan Rakyat) is more caring and considerate to religious matters.

MORE TO COME ?

Since these two decades, it has been difficult for religious organizations to apply land for temples and churches. Many have to use shophouses and factory lots as places of worship. Most are still required to pay quit-rent and assessment due to the places occuppied are under commercial or industrial lands. As religious places are non-profit based, it'd help the Rakyat of these religious bodies greatly if the quit-rent exemption can be extended to the shophouses/factory lots temples/churches. We hope that YB Hannah can bring this up to the Selangor Government and State Assembly after she has sworn-in formally as our ADUN.

Subang Jayans, thank you for the CHANGE !!!