PAC flags weak land checks in KL, urges reforms

Summary

• PAC wants a permanent committee with KL MPs to monitor land ownership and development.

• It also calls for DBKL to justify non-compliance with city plans and make land data public.

• Its report highlights unchecked development, loss of green reserves, and ignored resident objections.

The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged the government to take a more holistic and balanced approach to land development planning within Kuala Lumpur, amid concerns about transparency and integrity.

PAC deputy chairperson Teresa Kok called on the government to establish a permanent committee to monitor land issues, including those related to ownership and development matters.

The DAP lawmaker said such a committee should involve Kuala Lumpur MPs’ participation, whose views as representatives of affected constituencies were previously not taken into account by a land executive committee.

“To strengthen democratic accountability, the government should also return the chairperson role of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Land Executive Committee to the minister responsible for Federal Territories.

“The chief secretary to the government can then act as the committee’s deputy chairperson,” Kok (above) told a press conference in Parliament today.

She added that while the Federal Capital Act 1960 and the Federal Territory (Planning) Act 1982 grant the Kuala Lumpur mayor full control over the city’s development, Putrajaya should consider amending the laws to introduce an appointed Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) council system.

She also said that the PAC was of the view that DBKL must ensure all land use transactions and decisions comply with the gazetted Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan and Local Plan, stressing that any non-compliance must be publicly justified.

“The government must ensure that the sale of government land is conducted transparently and openly through tender with clear and comprehensive procedures, rather than via direct negotiations,” Kok affirmed.

Amend outdated method

The Seputeh MP noted that the government must also implement amendments to the outdated land premium calculation method by the end of this year to align alienation values with market rates and prevent government land from being sold below value.

“The government must ensure that DBKL’s OSC 3.0 Plus system - containing data on all government agency-owned lands, including lot numbers, locations, sizes, zoning, and usage status - is made accessible to the public without delay,” she added.

The press conference was called following the PAC’s tabling of its report on land development in Kuala Lumpur under the Federal Territories Department, the director-general’s office of the Lands and Mines Department, and DBKL in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Also in attendance was PAC chairperson Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who explained that the committee had decided to commence proceedings on the issue by exercising its authority under Standing Order 77(1)(d), which covers matters not arising from the Auditor-General’s Report.

She noted that the proceedings aimed to review and understand issues surrounding land management and development in Kuala Lumpur to ensure they are administered efficiently and effectively in line with existing guidelines and procedures.

“The responsibilities and specific roles of each party involved in the land development process were also discussed to ensure that project implementation is transparent, lawful, and in the best interests of both the government and the people,” Mas Ermieyati said.

Advisory board

Based on nine proceedings between Feb 5 and May 21, the PAC concluded 12 key observations.

This includes the role of the Federal Capital Advisory Board, which is limited to that of an advisory body under the Federal Capital Act 1960 without joint decision-making powers, unlike council members in other state local authorities.

This, Mas Ermieyati said, has resulted in the absence of effective checks and balances in decisions on government land development in Kuala Lumpur.

“Persistent breaches of the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan have also led to uncontrolled development and opened avenues for multiple development applications,” she explained.

“The cancellation of public land and green reserves gazetted under the Local Plan, with their ownership transferred to developers, is a critical issue affecting residents’ quality of life and urban ecological functions.

“This highlights weaknesses in the land development planning system in Kuala Lumpur, particularly regarding the justification of high-density projects on open or green areas,” she added.

Highlighting the Kampung Bohol retention pond project, Mas Ermieyati said the PAC discovered that objections from 1,275 residents were not considered in the ownership transfer of the land to a developer.

“Divergent views on the technical specifications of the Kampung Bohol flood retention pond - such as its design, depth, size, and maintenance - were flagged as critical concerns that could compromise the pond’s flood mitigation function,” she noted.

Lawmakers across the political divide are expected to debate the report in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow, with Mas Ermieyati set to deliver a winding-up speech.

Reporting by Qistina Nadia Dzulqarnain, Hariz Mohd, Noor Faizal Ghazali

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