Until the Penang Land Rules 2014 are amended to recognise them, places of worship located on Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) land are exempt from paying the renewal fee.

Since there was previously no category for such locations, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng stated that an amendment to create one was being worked on.

According to him, the Penang Land and Mines Department would be in charge of the situation and individuals who have already paid the money will receive refunds.

“The amendment will take about a few months,” he stated yesterday during a press conference with department director Datuk Ariffin Awang and chairman of the Local Government Committee Chow Kon Yeow.

The issue was brought to light when Ooi Hock Keong, the head of the Sun Hai Yim Yeong Temple committee, asked Assemblyman Lau Keng Ee of Pengkalan Kota for help with the exorbitant renewal price.

Ooi, who was there, said he was taken aback when the department sent him a letter last year requesting an RM2,500 renewal fee.

He stated, “I was shocked as the fees for previous years were about RM200,” and he was relieved that the issue was being resolved.