State to introduce measures to help Malays preserve their land in urban centres
(From left) Abang Johari, Aziz, Morshidi and others show thumbs-up to the camera at the ceremony. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The state government will introduce measures to ensure that the Malay community preserve their land in urban areas.
Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg observed that quite a number of land plots across this city had registered a change of ownership from Malay to those from other ethnic groups.
Abang Johari stressed that while the state government had been issuing titles for Native Customary Rights (NCR) land to other natives across Sarawak, the Malay land rights must not be overlooked.
“I am not being racial – I just want to be fair to all races. We have been issuing NCR land titles to the natives.
“While the other Bumiputera communities like the Ibans, the Bidayuh have their Native Customary Right (NCR) land, the Malay community only has those land in urban and suburban areas so we must also defend the land rights of the Malays especially the land across this city,” he said at the foundation-laying ceremony of the Hikmah Exchange project at Jalan Haji Taha here yesterday
Last year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak together with former chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem jointly performed the earth-breaking ceremony of the project which is owned by Sarawak Bumiputera Property Foundation (YHBS) and developed by Permodalan Satok Bhd (PSB) in collaboration with several other organisations including Sarawak Islamic Council and Pelita Holdings Sdn Bhd.
The chief minister said YHBS is obligated to play its role in defending the interest of the Muslims here and the Hikmah Exchange project is part of the state government’s efforts to defend the property rights of the local Muslims.
The exchange is poised to become a new landmark for the Muslims in the city and is expected to be completed in three years.
“The Hikmah Exchange will be wholly-owned by the Malays. When we secure an anchor tenant later, we will have fixed revenues. After that, we will set up a real estate investment trust to generate more revenues for the Malays.
“It will become the first digital building in Sarawak. Telekom Malaysia (TM) will come in to install fibre optics, which will make Hikmah Exchange a smart building.”
Abang Johari said all federal agencies would be relocated to the Hikmah Exchange upon its completion.
“This project will serve as a model for us to develop other areas such as the Darul Hana in Petra Jaya. What matters is that we must defend our property rights.”
Earlier, PSB executive chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain said the new economic centre would be built on a 3.65-acre site.
The Hikmah Exchange would come with two blocks of 13-storey structures comprising an office with a floor area of 48,936 square metres, a multi-storey carpark with 1,287 parking bays and 12 units of elevators, he said.
Abdul Aziz added that the convention centre with a floor area of 6,377 square metres comprising a banquet hall that could accommodate 1,000 people, seven seminar rooms, a gallery and three restaurants.
At the ceremony yesterday, YHBS also signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with TM and Pelita Holdings.
State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani was among those present.