PM: Undeveloped land leased to federal govt for projects must be returned to state

0

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) in a conversation with Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg (centre) and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

KUCHING (Jan 20): Any state land leased to the federal government for public projects but yet to be utilised must be returned to the state, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In this regard, he said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof would be tasked with checking whether the land leased had been developed, or been alienated by the federal government.

Moreover, the Prime Minister stressed that the matter must be resolved within a given three-month timeframe.

“About the status of the land requested by the federal government to be developed for public projects, I have given my instruction to give three months to check on the status of the state land, whether it has been developed to build schools, clinics or hospitals.

“If it’s true that there’s no school and the allocation has not been given to develop that land, the land must be given back to the state,” Anwar told reporters after chairing the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) action implementation meeting at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex in Petra Jaya here yesterday.

Citing a case of an application for land submitted in 1980 and approved in 1981 to illustrate the point, Anwar also said such cases had occurred not only in Sarawak and Sabah, but also in Peninsular Malaysia.

He said the state lands had been leased to the federal government, especially to the Education and Health departments, since the 1970s, and was supposed to be for the construction of schools, clinics and hospitals, but had yet to be developed despite years of leasing.

“Such cases happened not only in Sabah and Sarawak, but also even in my former constituencies of Permatang Pauh and Port Dickson and now Tambun – we face the same issue.

“After many years, there are still no projects built on the land, although the land was supposed to be used for a school.  Now, it is 2023 (and) the public project is still not implemented, nor there is any indication to show when it will be implemented.

“But whether these lands have not been developed, possibly because of (them being) not suitable for building schools or clinics, or are not budgeted for, we must find out the reason why they have yet to be developed,” he said.

Anwar also said Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had insisted on wanting back these lands that had remained undeveloped and abandoned for long periods.
Moreover, Anwar also said the Finance Ministry had agreed to provide an additional allocation of RM1 billion meant for the upgrading works on the infrastructure of the Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security (CIQS) complexes at Sarawak and Sabah borders.

He said this was decided following a recent discussion with Indonesian President Joko Widodo over the relocation of Indonesia’s capital to Nusantara in Kalimantan.

“We have decided to give the additional allocation for the CIQS to improve their security and increase their capability, as well as for other basic infrastructures such as roads, as we don’t want to be seen as being ‘too obsolete’,” said Anwar.