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“Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow will submit a report on revised quit rent rates affecting 370,000 land titles following discussions with DAP leadership.”
Penang, 24th March 2026, 12.20pm – Chow Kon Yeow said he will prepare a detailed report on the implementation of Penang’s revised quit rent (land tax) rates to be submitted to Anthony Loke Siew Fook, secretary-general of Democratic Action Party (DAP).
The revised quit rent rates took effect on Jan 1 as part of the state government’s land administration review.
Chow said he would also respect Loke’s advice to refrain from further public discussion of the issue to avoid negative perceptions that could affect both the party leadership and the Penang state administration.
Meeting arranged to address quit rent issue
In a statement on Sunday, Chow expressed appreciation to Loke for arranging a meeting involving himself and former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng to address concerns surrounding the land tax revision.
The meeting aims to resolve differing views over the implementation of the new rates, which had recently drawn public attention.
Chow also encouraged affected landowners to continue submitting appeals regarding their revised quit rent assessments through the respective district and land offices as well as the state Lands and Mines Department located at Komtar.
Call for constructive resolution
On Saturday, Loke said he would facilitate discussions between Chow and Lim to resolve the matter, describing the ongoing public disagreement as unproductive and unsuitable, particularly given current global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
Lim, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bagan, later said he would temporarily refrain from making further public comments on the issue until the meeting takes place.
Nearly 370,000 land titles affected
The Penang state government recently completed a review of quit rent rates alongside the reclassification of certain land from rural to urban status statewide. The exercise was carried out in accordance with Section 101 of the National Land Code and became effective on Jan 1.
The revision affects approximately 370,000 land titles across Penang, covering multiple land use categories including residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and other special designations.
State government clarifies revision rationale
Chow previously expressed regret that certain parties had allegedly misrepresented the quit rent adjustments without fully understanding the calculation methodology and the actual land use classifications involved.
The state government maintains that the review forms part of its broader land management framework aimed at ensuring tax structures remain aligned with current land use and development conditions.
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