DBKL hikes assessment rate for the sake of hiking?

Maybe the timing was not right, DBKL is in hot water these few weeks, lambasted by KL citizens for its proposed assessment rate hike up to 200%. Just when GST is coming to town, coupled with the fact that the more expensive electricity bill next month, citizens were feeling the pinch in their pocket.

What's the reason for the hiking?

Answer: "The last increase was more than 20 years ago."

As simple as that? It must be joking us... Why don't you lower down your salary because you haven't done so for past years? We're not objecting about the increase for sake of objecting. But, some form of better reason should be justify for the proposal.

Is DBKL running out of money?

According to Star newspaper, Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail, predecessor to the current mayor, pointed out that he had raised reserves amounting to RM3bil prior to retiring last year. This means that the current mayor inherited RM3bil when he took over.

With additional development expenditure and grants funded by Federal Government under various plans, DBKL should be enjoying handsome surplus. In fact, DBKL is making profits every year and together with its RM3bil cash coffer, we just don't know why such assessment hike was needed.

Instead, DBKL should cut rate to lessen the burden of rakyat.

Am I correct?