KOTA KINABALU: The State Government can approve land leases for a term of 999 years if the original land master title has a tenure of 999 years without any need for changes to the law.
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Liew Teck Chan said it has been done before so there is no need for any delay "because it is only a matter of whether the government wants to honour the 999 tenure or not."
Liew who is also Likas Assemblyman was referring to the request by the Sabah Housing and ReaI Estate Developers Association (Shareda) that the State Government revert the land leases for country leases and town leases after subdivision to the originai 999 tenure.
Liew said the Chief Minister was reported to have said that the Cabinet needs to discuss first because the 999-year lease requires legislation.
"In fact, in my Likas constituency, Taman Seputeh with 230 units of houses were issued Iand titles with 999-year lease by the then Chief Minister, DatukYong Teck Lee in 1992.
"The premiun charged per house was RM1,000 and annual quit rent at RM90. This reasonable rate has made it possible for the houseowners to own the houses after the abandoned project was revived by the then State Government," he said in a statement, Monday.
“What is disturbing in recent years is that owners of land with 999-year leases were denied their rights when their land leases were cut short to only 99 year after their land was subdivided.”
He said it was unjust to cut short the original tenure of 999 years to 99 years.
“The people become more worried when they look at the Kolombong shop houses case which has been waiting for several years to renew their land titles which are about to expire soon.
“The appeal for extension was submitted in 2003 to the Chief Minister by Datuk Seri Tan with a big news coverage. But until now, there is no news of the application, not even for 99 year lease," he said.
Liew said without an extension of their land leases, their shops would become worthless, banks would refuse to lend money for renovations and insurance companies would become reluctant to insure the properties.
"Shop owners similarly are scared to repair their shop houses as the government might arbitrarily become the new owners of the shops once the land leases have expired.
"Yesterday, some land owners at Kampong Sembulan Laut protested at the refusal of the Govemment to renew their land leases which are due to expire in seven to 20 years, time.
"With so many land grab incidents occurring all over Sabah, where by natives are being evicted from their customary lands, it is obvious that people are concerned that they will lose their homes and properties in the future.
"We are worried when the Chief Minister said that his Cabinet will look into the issue.
"This is because this Cabinet has taken a lot of time to look into issue alter issue without any outcome like the definition of natives, poverty eradication programmes and Borneonisation of the civil service," he said.
Daily Express
Tuesday, 11 October, 2011
Page 1-2
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