KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook today called for an end to the public dispute between party veteran Lim Guan Eng and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow over the state’s revised quit rent rates, saying the matter should be resolved internally.

In a statement, Loke said the party leadership was “deeply concerned and disturbed” by the ongoing exchanges, and said internal differences over public policy should not be aired in a way that undermines the party’s own state government.

“This is an unhealthy and inappropriate way to address internal differences on public policy matters,” he said, adding that he would convene a meeting involving both leaders to resolve the matter amicably.

Loke said Lim, as a former DAP secretary-general and former Penang chief minister, should appreciate the importance of party discipline.

“Any disagreements, especially from backbenchers on State Government decisions, should be addressed through established internal mechanisms rather than aired publicly,” Loke said.

At the same time, he said Chow should take seriously the concerns raised, as they involve public interest and complaints from affected stakeholders.

He said any review of quit rent in commercial areas must be carried out in a “balanced, responsive, and considerate” manner, adding that quit rent involving educational institutions such as public schools should not be increased excessively and should instead be kept at a nominal rate.

Loke said the public spat must end so party leaders can refocus on serving the people rather than prolonging a dispute that has already drawn wide public attention.

The intervention follows a series of public exchanges over Penang’s revised 2026 quit rent structure, which the state government says took effect on January 1 this year and was introduced to correct disparities in rates that had not been reviewed since 1994.

Lim had earlier questioned cases of sharp increases, including one he said rose from RM6 to RM19,400 a year and another from RM745 to RM489,775, while arguing that the state government’s explanation had raised many doubts.

Chow has defended the revision, saying some cases highlighted publicly omitted key details such as land size and actual land use, and that the rates are based on land classification, size and current use.

The Penang government had offered a 50 per cent rebate on 2026 quit rent for all landowners, subject to minimum rates and conditions.

The state also fixed quit rent for school land at a nominal RM50 per title this year, excluding international schools.

On March 12, Chow said the state government had received 1,025 appeals over the revised rates.