KULAI: There was broad smiles and pleased look from 64 families in two New Villages here after their 50-year wait for land ownership was resolved.
The residents of the two the New Villages, comprising of 29 residents from Bukit Batu New Village and 35 residents from Kampung Tan Ho in Saleng were issued the Notice 5A land contracts and land titles ownership, respectively.
Johor executive council chairman for Tourism and Domestic Trade and Consumerism Datuk Tee Siew Kiong handed over the Notice 5A and the land titles to the recipients, here at a ceremony yesteday.
Three Chinese temples and a Christian church also were awarded with full land title ownerships at the event.
Tee said the land titles and Notice 5A which had received consent from the State Government for the land conversion process, will see land status converted from agricultural to residential use.
He said the move reflects the commitment by the Johor goverment to resolve any impending land cases which had been unable to proceed previously due to technicalities issues.
"Some of the New Villages here in Kulai face similar problem, as most of the area is under development and did not meet to the land conversions requirements ," he said.
He said while some of the applicants for the land conversion had erected homes on the state TOL (temporary occupancy license) land in the past was awarded the Notice 5A, they backed out as they
could not afford to pay the high land premium charges.
However, Tee said the state government would consider the applicants recurring long-standing problems and try to work out an amicable solutions in resolving their land issues
Kam Chi Wah, 64, who had stayed in Kampung Tan Ho in Saleng for almost 40 years when her family moved there was elated with the state goverment’s notice of approval, Notice 5A . TThis allows her to proceed with the land conversion process.
"All I need to do now is to settle the land premium fee which I will try to raise from part of my life savings and from my childrens help," she said.
Another recipient Othman Ismail who lives in Bukit Batu New Village said although he is among the few Malays living in the new villlage which is mostly populated by Chinese, does not see it as a problem as everyone in the villages in harmony.
"Some of us grew up at the same place and are long time friends. Some of us even went to the same school. So its important for us to retain that special relationship that was bond through years of friendships and living in the same area," he said.
Tee during his speech said the state government will seek approval to convert the lands at new villages in Kulai by year end.
"There are still 176 applicants from four New Village here in Kulai districts which have yet to obtain the consent for the converting their land status," Tee said.
However, since 2012 a total of 2,764 land conversion cases in the 10 New Villages here in the Kulai district had been managed to be resolved by the state government, amicably.
