NRES: Malay reserve land area in peninsula increases to 4.95 mil hectares in 2024

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 30): The total area of Malay reserve land (MRL) in Peninsular Malaysia increased to 4.95 million hectares in 2024, up from 4.82 million hectares in 2020.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), the net increase amounted to 135,063.46 hectares over a five-year period.

“The total area of MRL in Peninsular Malaysia excludes Penang and Melaka, which do not have a Malay Reservation Enactment (MRE),” NRES said, in a written reply published on Parliament’s official website.

The reply was submitted in response to a question by Datuk Ahmad Amzad Mohamed @Hashim (PN-Kuala Terengganu), regarding the latest breakdown of MRL area by state, including changes over the past five years, as well as government measures to ensure the continuous preservation and protection of MRL status.

Based on data from state authorities, the ministry said that Kelantan recorded the largest MRL area at 1.36 million hectares, followed by Perak (953,212.43 hectares), Kedah (809,142.22 hectares), Johor (561,802.60 hectares), and Pahang (444,074.90 hectares).

In addition, Negeri Sembilan recorded 224,483.22 hectares, Selangor (164,743.96 hectares), Perlis (33,554.48 hectares), Kuala Lumpur (1,004.00 hectares), while Terengganu involved an area of 2,378.89 hectares, with Malay holdings in the state amounting to 401,129 hectares.

According to the NRES, the management and protection of MRL are governed by several key legal frameworks, including Article 89 of the Federal Constitution, which provides special protection for MRL and requires the replacement of land of equivalent value should any revocation occur.

The legal framework also includes the Malay Reservation Enactments in the relevant states, covering provisions related to the declaration and revocation of MRL, ownership restrictions, and prohibitions on the holding of interests by non-Malays.

In addition, the National Land Code 1965 (Act 828) regulates general land administration, including the registration of land titles and interests, as well as considerations and approvals at meetings of the National Land Council (NLC), particularly in relation to the coordination of land policies and the compilation of MRL data at the federal level.

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