Liew
KOTA KINABALU: Land titles handed over on to the Federal Government were lands for federal purposes acquired by way of Land Acquisition process and lands that were approved before 2016 and premium were fully paid.
Most of the land were already constructed with schools, hospitals and other public facilities, said Lands and Surveys director Bernard Liew in a statement today.
He explained that the land titles granted to the Federal agencies were especially meant for building of public facilities such as schools, hospitals, police stations and post offices to provide services to the public.
On February 18, the State Government handed over a total of 177 land titles to the Federal Government with the actual total acreage of 519.444 hectares or 1,283.57 acres.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor said this is the State government’s commitment to ensure all Malaysians in Sabah benefit.
Out of the 177 land titles, 90 were for the Education Ministry, 42 for the Health Ministry, 28 for the Transport Ministry and 17 others.
Hajiji presented the land titles to State Federal Secretary Datuk Samsuni Mohd Nor for the Transport Ministry, State Education Director Datuk Dr Mistrine Radin for the Education Ministry and Deputy Health Director Jackson Taguah for the Health Ministry.
Warisan Wira Chief, Datuk Azis Jamman however took the Sabah GRS government to task for handing over almost 2,000 hectares of state land to federal agencies.
He said to “give away” such a vast amount of land was shocking and seemingly undermined the rights of Sabahans, adding, “We do not object building infrastructure such as schools and hospitals but the point is that the federal government already possesses large tracts of land in Sabah.
“Why is the current state government giving away more land when many areas already alienated to the federal agencies have been left idle for many years?
“There are many people in the rural areas who do not even have an inch that they can call their own and yet the state government today continues to neglect their needs,” he said.
Azis, who is also the Member of Parliament for Sepanggar said the previous Warisan-led government had gazetted areas in Inanam, Karambunai and Darau that should be given priority because the people living in those land have been waiting forever for their land to be gazetted.
According to Liew, there are two methods of acquiring of lands for federal purposes by federal agencies i.e. by way of land acquisition of private lands under the Sabah Land Acquisition Ordinance Cap 69 in which the funding for all payments of the land compensation were funded by federal agencies and by way of application of state land.
In 2016, the State Government, he said, made a decision that all land for federal purposes to be acquired through land application of stateland will notbe granted with land title but instead shall be gazetted under section 28 of the Sabah Land Ordinance Cap 68.
“Thus the land shall maintain under the State Government. Land for federal purposes acquired through the land acquicition process and compensation funded wholely by federal agencies will be granted with leasehold land titles.
“Examples of land for federal purpose that has been gazetted and maintained under the State Government are the Headquarters Building of the Custom Department at Jalan Sulaman and the Police Station in Tawau,” he disclosed.
Land for federal purposes granted with land titles were issued with leasehold titles of 99 years, Liew said adding that the federal agencies will have to pay premium and annual Quit Rent just like other land owners.
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