LANGKAWI: It was a joyful day for 35 Felcra In-Situ Kampung Kok settlers here after their four-decades wait to get their land titles finally ended today.
One of the settlers, Norazirah Omar, 53, said they had applied for their land titles since the Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority settlement was opened in 1982.
"I am very grateful and happy that I finally get to hold this piece of paper that grants the land ownership of the house my family has been living all this while.
"I have made a promise to myself that I will never sell the land if my prayers to own the land title were answered and I will keep to my words," she said.
Another settler, Murad Ahmad, 67, was also grateful that his 40 years of waiting had finally ended today.
"It was a prolonged struggle to get this land title. We have been climbing the staircases of government buildings in this island and Alor Star for years," he said.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor presented the land titles to the settlers at the Langkawi District Office here.
Meanwhile, Sanusi reminded the settlers to resist tempting offers made for their land after getting their titles.
"Please think about your future generations, they need a home to remain living here in Langkawi," he said.
In a related development, Sanusi said his administration was committed to settle impending approvals for land title applications that were over 20 years.
He said all district land offices in the state had been ordered to expedite the backlog in land title applications.
"I am not telling (the people) to trespass into forest reserves, (but) for lands that had been toiled for over 20 years and have become village settlements we will alienate the land (from Forestry Department ownership).
"I hope there are no more applications that will have to wait for 40 years to get the land titles," he told reporters.
As such, he added that the state had set a Key Performance Indication (KPI) for each District Office to resolve at least 10 files involving land matters every month.
