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CLAIMS of a dramatic 245 per cent increase in property taxes in Kedah, which have recently surfaced in political speeches in Sabah, have been labelled as deliberate spin by Kedah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
The controversy has also been entwined with the Gardenia bread debate, which became a talking point during the state’s 17th election campaign.
Speaking at the Jelajah #Karambunai Kasijadi event in Taman Sepanggar on Sunday evening, Sanusi explained how a minor issue regarding property taxes and a factory had been amplified to portray Perikatan Nasional (PN) in a negative light.
The event was attended by PN leaders including Pas President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and Karambunai DUN candidate Datuk Dr Aliakbar Gulasan.
“Regarding the bread issue, it is a small matter that has been blown out of proportion because nothing significant happened in Kedah. So, a minor issue, far away, is being brought here to tarnish the name of Perikatan Nasional,” Sanusi said.
He clarified that the remarks in question came from Kuala Ketil assemblyman and Kedah Exco for Housing, Health and Local Government Mansor Zakaria, regarding the Alor Setar City Council’s (MBAS) plan to seek state approval for a property tax reassessment.
“The matter is still at the review stage. Yet leaders from Pakatan Harapan came all the way from there to give speeches in Sabah claiming the tax had been increased by 245 per cent. The decision has not been made; it is still under discussion and there is room for objections,” he said.
Sanusi emphasised that the reassessment currently involves only a single furniture factory, where the tax would rise from RM400 to RM1,100 after 33 years. “If calculated monthly, that is only RM90. This is a factory, not a residence. The factory has profited for over 30 years,” he said.
He stressed that the process allows owners to lodge objections and that the wider claims of a state-wide 245 per cent hike are false.
“Because of modern technology, such stories can easily be spun to suggest that under PN’s administration in Kedah, there has been a massive tax increase. This is entirely untrue,” he added.
Sanusi also warned that the politicisation of minor issues, such as the Gardenia bread, could be detrimental to Sabah voters.
“If Sabah rejects PN over bread, it is the people of Sabah who lose. Dr Aliakbar is a good man, an academic, devoted to public welfare. Yet because of this bread issue, he could be unfairly rejected,” he said.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the MBAS proposal remains under review with a 42-day window for objections, and any final decision would require state government approval before being gazetted.
Until then, the allegations of dramatic tax hikes are baseless, he said, cautioning voters against being misled by political spin. - November 17, 2025