TELUK INTAN, Aug 18 — Perak DAP wants the state government to grant 999-year leases or permanent (freehold) ownership status to new villages as promised in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto for the 14th General Election (GE-14).

Its chairman Nga Kor Ming said the power to amend matters pertaining to land affairs is under the jurisdiction of the state government and is not subject to the National Land Council (MTN).

“I feel that it is not contrary to the Federal Constitution. The constitution has determined that where land is the jurisdiction of the state government, the MTN only gives advice, that is all,” he said after launching a charity event involving the participation of five Chinese primary and secondary schools in Teluk Intan at the San Min Private Secondary School, here today.

Perak Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu, at the recent State Assembly sitting, had said that the state government could not grant 999-year leases or freehold status to the new villages because it contravened the Federal Constitution.

Ahmad Faizal said that MTN’s Specific Policy on Landholding for the New Village Areas held that the leasehold period for new villages had been increased from 30 years to 60 years.

The Mentri Besar explained that it was already stipulated that the lease period or leasehold for the new villages should be at least 60 years but not exceeding 99 years.

Meanwhile, Nga, who is also Teluk Intan MP, said the 999-year lease was not an issue as it would give permanent ownership to all races involving organised settlements, Indian settlements and new villages.

“I would like to emphasise that when we give permanent ownership, we give to all races and this should be pointed out… this is not a new piece of land, there are residential lots occupied by residents before independence and since 1948 during the ( Malayan) emergency, new villages were already in existence.”

He added that what he asked for was an extension of the lease which should not be an issue.

He added that in this regard, he was not putting any pressure on the Mentri Besar, adding that the matter was in the manifesto of Pakatan Harapan which was committed to implementing all its promises. — Bernama