Nik Nazmi: Area of Malay reserve land increased in Peninsular Malaysia in 2022

• "Overall, every state in the peninsula recorded an increase in the size of the Malay reserve land gazetted, except for Kedah, Kuala Lumpur and Perak."

KUALA LUMPUR (March 29): The gazetted area of ​​Malay reserve land in Peninsular Malaysia increased by 0.67% from 4,963,190.8 hectares in 2021 to 4,996,406.42 hectares in 2022, Parliament was told on Wednesday (March 29).

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (pictured) said the size of the land was recorded based on data collected from the local authorities in states in the peninsula.

"Overall, every state in the peninsula recorded an increase in the size of the Malay reserve land gazetted, except for Kedah, Kuala Lumpur and Perak," he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Ismail Abd Muttalib (Perikatan Nasional-Maran), who wanted to know the original size of Malay reserve land in states where the area is decreasing, and the government’s plan to overcome the problem.

According to Nik Nazmi, the total area of ​​Malay reserve land in Kedah decreased from 721,888.93 hectares to 716,537.28 hectares between 2021 and 2022, followed by Kuala Lumpur (1,003.56 hectares to 999.48 hectares), and Perak (953,042.67 hectares to 953,040.87 hectares).

He said there is no need for the ministry to prepare a White Paper on the issue of Malay reserve land since its area had not decreased, and there is no loss.

Malay reserve land that has been utilised has to be replaced in accordance with the provision in Article 89 of the Federal Constitution, which protects Malay reserve land, he added.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Ismail, who wanted to know if the ministry planned to prepare a White Paper on  Malay reserve land.