Kg Baru residents call for PM's intervention after land acquisition invoked

 

A group of Kampung Baru residents called on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to intervene after the previous government under Muhyiddin Yassin invoked the Land Acquisition Act 1960 after they refused to give in to negotiations to take over their land for a redevelopment plan.

The residents involved are those residing near Jalan Sungai Baru, Kampung Baru.

One of the residents' representatives 35-year-old Azlan Mustafa said the developer, through the government, had invoked the Land Acquisition Act 1960 and questioned the speed of the circumstances around the acquisition.

"The gazette under Section 4 (of the Land Acquisition Act 1960) was published by the government on June 18, 2021 and three days later, the gazette under Section 8 was published on June 21, 2021.

"All this happened during the state of emergency and the lockdown," he told a press conference at Jalan Sungai Baru, Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur today.

Azlan said the use of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 was to force them to move and silence their objections.

He added that it was an attempt to paint the residents as a minority group who are anti-development and stubborn.

"But this is an erroneous statement. The stubborn one is the developer. We have rejected their offer and they refused to improve their offer. Instead, they invoked the Land Acquisition Act 1960.

"My hope is for the gazette to be cancelled," he said.

Land Acquisition Act

The Federal Territories minister under the then Muhyiddin government was Annuar Musa. He was succeeded by Shahidan Kassim when Ismail Sabri Yaakob took over as the prime minister.

Kampung Baru

Under the Land Acquisition Act 1960, the government may acquire any land for any public purpose.

It can also be invoked if the land is needed by any person or corporation for any purpose that in the opinion of the state authority is beneficial to the economic development of the country or any class of the public.

The procedure to acquire the land starts with the publication of a notification in Form A under Section 4 followed by Form D under Section 8 which contains the list of affected lands in the National Gazette.

The residents were served with Form K shortly before Ramadan. Form K under Section 22 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 means that the government has formally taken possession of their land.

Fair negotiations

Azlan said he hoped the fair negotiations can proceed with the developer and the Land Acquisition Act 1960 should not be used to force the residents to give up their land.

Under the acquisition action, a sum of between RM198,000 to RM350,000 is being offered as compensation, depending on their property size.

However, the residents are worried about being able to find no accommodation in an area like Kampung Baru which is strategically placed in the city centre with various public facilities including a hospital.

For the terrace house owners, they are also seeking advice from an independent valuer.

Meanwhile, former federal territories minister Khalid Samad criticised the government's move to take possession of the residents' properties before Shahidan could discuss it with them.

Khalid Samad

"They were not squatting on government land. They have the grants to the land. Don't evict them, negotiate with them. Only then it can be smooth and fair," he said.

Shahidan had on April 11 assured the residents won't be evicted during Ramadan even though the government has formally taken possession of their land.

He added that negotiations with the residents will continue. - Mkini