91-year-old grandma in 50-year fight to recover her land

 

Sandramadi Adaikan, of Sempalit New Village in Pahang. She said her land title, issued in 1911, was declared invalid.

PETALING JAYA: For the past 50 years, Sandramadi Adaikan has been fighting to keep a piece of land in a remote village in Raub, Pahang.

The plot is only half an acre in size, but to the 91-year-old, it’s invaluable.

The land title, held by Sandramadi, was issued in 1911, but the land office seized the property 50 years ago, saying the title was not valid.

“My grandfather bought it using his hard-earned money working in estates. It was given to me as a gift of love in 1970 by my brother who was the trustee,” said Sandramadi.

She has been in and out of courts in her battle to get back the land. “The records are all there. The matter is in court now and I will accept the judgment eventually,” she told FMT.

An image of the land title issued in 1911.

Sandramadi, who has 11 children, 20 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, said she had to sell another piece of land to pay for the legal fees in her bid to get back the property where all her children were born.

Represented by lawyer R Kengadharan, she took her case to the High Court in Temerloh but lost.

“In February this year, the Court of Appeal decided unanimously that there was merit in my application and sent it back to the High Court for a retrial. I am praying hard but I will leave it to the court to decide,” she said.

She said her fresh hearing began on Dec 9 and is set to continue for two days from tomorrow (Dec 21), adding that she can only hope for the best.

Sandramadi Adaikan and her son Maheswaran Kandasamy.

Her son Maheswaran Kandasamy, 62, said although it is only a small parcel of land, his family members viewed it as extremely sentimental for them.

“All my siblings have tried our best to negotiate with the land authorities over the decades but we failed. So let the courts decide on the fate of the land,” he said. - FMT