GEORGE TOWN, Jan 21 — The quit rent rate for all schools in Penang, except international schools, will be fixed at a nominal RM50 per lot, the state government said today.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said a total of 106 schools on federal government land will only need to pay RM50 per lot in quit rent for this year.
“Schools on lands that do not belong to the federal government will also be given a nominal rate of RM50 per lot for quit rent and this involved 201 schools in the state,” he said at a press conference at his office in Komtar today.
Previously, quit rent rates for schools were the same as residential building rates, and the state had, from time to time, agreed to a nominal rate of RM1 upon appeal from the schools.
“After looking into the situation, we decided on the RM50 nominal rate for all schools except for international schools,” he said.
He added that international schools are businesses, so they will have to pay the usual rates.
Meanwhile, on first grade lands, Chow said some first grade land parcels were charged very low quit rent rates because they were classified under agricultural use.
“With this review, we introduced new calculations for first grade lands based on current use of land,” he said.
He said if the land is being used for industrial or commercial purposes, it will be charged a rate of RM3.25 per square metre.
He said it is not fair for landowners using land for industrial or commercial purposes to pay agricultural rates while other industrial landowners are already paying industrial rates.
As for the 50 per cent rebate on quit rent for all landowners, Chow said this is subject to a minimum rate and specified conditions.
One of the conditions is that the amount of quit rent payable this year after the rebate would not be less than the amount of quit rent the landowner paid in 2025.
“For example, if a landowner paid RM300 in residential quit rent in 2025, and in 2026 the assessed quit rent is RM350, the landowner must pay RM300 for 2026, which is the amount paid in 2025, rather than RM175 after applying the 50 per cent rebate,” he said.
Finally, he said the state has also agreed to consider appeals for reduction in quit rent of up to RM20,000, as a measure to expedite the appeal process and the delivery of appeal decisions.
“All landowners who wish to submit an appeal or seek clarification on the basis for the calculation of the quit rent rate imposed on their land titles may contact the relevant District and Land Office,” he said.
