Many Sarawak land-owners whose 60-year land leases are to run out in less than 10 years time are both worried and anxious about renewal and the hefty premiums they may have to pay.

Most land leases run for 60 years, said to be the shortest in Malaysia, with grants in perpetuity only given out in the past during the pre-colonial Rajah days. Even 99-year leases are no longer issued.

According to state DAP chairperson Wong Ho Leng, statistics on the number of landowners has not been forthcoming from the authorities inspite of written request from the sole DAP state assemblyperson Chiew Chin Sing during the recent sitting of the state legislative assembly.

''The state government seems to shun away from it,'' he claimed.

It is estimated, however, that there are ''hundreds of thousands'' of registered lease-holders of agriculture, commercial, industrial and residential land throughout Sarawak.

''I'd say that 10 per cent to 15 per cent of land leases are about to run out in five years and a similar percentage in 10 to 15 years,'' Wong told malaysiakini .

He said that a DAP delegation will visit land offices in major urban centres this month to find out the process and procedures in applying for renewal and the premiums payable.

The delegation will include Wong, the party's Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen, Chiew and state party treasurer Voon Lee Shan.

Wong said he understands that for agriculture land, the premium payable is RM250 per acre for renewal.

Clarify premiums

"But the authorities now require proof that the land has been cultivated implying that it will otherwise not be renewed.''

This affects a lot of Chinese land-owners who have owned agricultural lands passed down to them by their parents or acquired over the years.

There is anxiety, inspite of the government's recent assurances that renewal will be given upon payment of premiums, especially among urban land-owners, such as those cases of old shophouses on short leases and in one of the early housing estates in Kuching.

Wong said Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan's ( pix ) recent statement that premiums payable would be based on a certain percentage of the valuation of the land only minus the buildings needed to be clarified.

According to him, a valuation is usually based "on land with everything on top of it" which is the basis to be used when the land is compulsorily acquired by government for a public purpose.

''It does not stand to logic to value a residential land minus the building standing on it,'' Wong said.

In Kuching's Kenyalang Park, one of the earliest large housing estates with between 2000 and 3000 home-owners to the east of the city, the land leases are to run out in less than 20 years.

Many owners are encountering difficulties in security bank facilities because of the remaining short leases.

A Kuching property valuer Henry Lu told malaysiakini the land-owners should apply for renewal well ahead of the expiry date of the leases and should not wait to do it at the last minute.

''The valuation on the land is taken at the time the application is made,'' this former senior land and survey officer said. ''Under the circumstances there is a method of calculating the premiums payable.''

Block application

It is estimated that the premium payable on average in Kenyalang Park will not exceed RM10,000 based on the current value of a 2000sq feet residential plot.

Lu suggested that the Kenyalang Park land-owners make a block application for renewal by negotiating the terms (premiums, etc) instead of doing it individually.

A major property developer, who asked not to be identified, said he understands that premiums on commercial and residential lands for purposes of renewal of leases could be as high as 50 per cent to 60 per cent of valuation.

This has been a subject of concern among many land-owners in urban areas.

Kuching social activist-politician Dominique Ng said the government should automatically extend leases to 99 years upon expiry of the 60-year leases to confirm with most standard leases in Peninsular Malaysia, without payment of any premiums.

"In this way it will at least serve two generations - the lifetime of father and son combined.'

''It was quite understandable in the old days as land premiums constituted a major source of income for government. But today the government does not depend on land premiums only.''

He said the government can always amend the land laws to provide for long leases.

"After all, the present state government has been making changes to the Sarawak Land Code," he added.