Perak Govt Challenging Federal Constitution, National Land Code

IPOH, Jan 1 (Bernama) — The Perak government's decision to grant freehold land titles to residents of new and planned villages in the state was clearly challenging the Federal Constitution and National Land Code, said Perak Umno Liaison secretary Datuk Ramly Zahari.

He said the action contravened the provision in Clause 76 (aa) of the National Land Code which stated that permanent land titles should only be given for land to be used by the federal government for public purposes or under special circumstances.

"So, I hope the Attorney-General's Chambers could render the land titles invalid if issued or the plots of land as having no titles," he told Bernama here today.

He said the clause was included in the code in the spirit of population development in the long term in this country, upon realising that the land size remained the same while the number of residents kept increasing from year to year.

Ramly also said that the inclusion of the planned villages for the freehold land titles by the Pakatan Rakyat state government was a populist move, which eventually showed to be erroneous and led to bigger contradictions.

Meanwhile, Pangkor assemblyman Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir questioned the state government's statement that the issuing of the permanent land titles could give economic returns to the state and increase the economic value of the land.

"If it's for economic returns for the state, why did the state government had only wanted to issue the titles to the new villages while there are many planned and traditional villages without permanent land titles?

"Realising the error and dubious motive, they quickly included the planned housing schemes (Rancangan Perumahan Tersusun) where Malays only make up 47 per cent of the residents," he said when contacted today.

Zambry also questioned the claim of receiving revenue for the state by issuing the freehold land titles when the state government would be giving 80 per cent discount on the land premiums.

He said the slyness of the state government in the land title issue was clear as the 30-year, 60-year and 99-year leaseholds had a high value and could be used as collaterals by banks, as was publicly known all this while.

"When I recently asked (state executive councillor) Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham about the matter at the state assembly sitting, he nonchalantly said that it was not a DAP agenda but the agenda of its partner (in Pakatan Rakyat) headed by the Menteri Besar," he recalled.

"I said how easy it was for the DAP to run away from a problem and placed the burden of facing the backlash on its partner in the pact," he added.

Zambry said he also could not understand Ngeh's statement yesterday that the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government did not discriminate the Malays, hence agriculture lots were also given to them.

"So, I wish to ask whether there was discrimination (against the Malays) prior to this that he (Ngeh) felt compelled to make the statement to allay their anger," he added.

Yesterday, the Perak government went against the decision of the National Land Council when it said that it would go ahead with issuing the freehold land titles to the new and planned villages.

Last week, the council decided that it would hold a special meeting soon to discuss a proposal paper by the state government on the matter.

— BERNAMA