Call to establish land tribunal to regulate sale and purchase of Malay reserve land

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 18): The government should establish a Land Tribunal to regulate the sale and purchase of land, especially Malay reserve land, according to Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang (pictured).
"(Matters concerning) Malay reserve land are stated in the Federal Constitution. Each state should have Malay reserve land, but now it had declined to only a small percentage. Where did it go? What happened?
"If the government can establish the Construction Court and a special tribunal to regulate matters concerning the construction, sale and purchase of houses, then why can't a Land tribunal be set up?" he said.
Abu Zahar made the proposal at the 7th 'Fikrah Ummah' discourse on the role of Parliament in preserving the interests of the Malays through Federal Constitution at Menara Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) here yesterday.
Also present was DBP director-general Datuk Dr Awang Sariyan.
Abu Zahar said the tribunal, if established, would also be capable of preventing land scam involving Malay reserve land, which sometimes left undetected even by the owners until a building or housing estate were built in the area.
He said this was because there were cases of land scam that proved that it was very easy for a Malay reserve land title to slip away from the owner.
"Some individuals, allegedly a village head, can falsify the original land grant without the knowledge of the owner, and then sell the land to a developer who can easily get the approval for development from the Land Office. That is how easy Malay-owned land can be sold," he said.