Policy to end land application backlog

DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
21 November, 2007

Kota Kinabalu: THE State Government proposed to introduce a New Land Alienation Policy (NLAP) that will focus on resolving the backlog of land applications and issuance of land approval in an organised manner, proper and fair.

The Lands and Surveys Department had formulated ways to implement the policy which among others be looking thoroughly and discussed in land management workshops before submitting the proposal to the higher authority for approval.

Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Radin Malleh said among the proposed approaches are identifying State land that can be applied, determining residents that are totally depend on the land, giving priority landless and zoning State land based on priorities. "All land applications and land settlements that existed in the land area will be scrutinised by a committee consisting of local leaders and relevant government officers," he said.

"To ensure the NLAP programme is implemented smoothly and effectively, the Government has proposed that land applications by individuals to be frozen temporarily," he said. However, Radin emphasised that land applications by State Government or any government agency that can generate earning for the State's economy and providing facilities to people should be processed.

For the past five years between 2001 to 2005, he said 22,687 out of 157,762 land applications had been approved.