Flying squads to look into backlog of strata title applications in Johor and Selangor

Utusan Online 17/01/2004

PENANG Jan 16 - The Land and Cooperative Development Ministry will send five flying squads, four to Johor and one to Selangor, to help the Land and Mines offices in the two states to expedite applications for strata titles and also to investigate land fraud cases.

Its deputy minister, Dr Tan Kee Kwong said the flying squads, each comprising five officers, would be sent to the two states in April at the latest.

Compared to Selangor, Johor had many backlogged applications and a high volume of land transactions, he told reporters after visiting the Penang Survey and National Mapping Department here Friday.

Dr Tan said Johor had a backlog of 180,000 applications for strata titles and the number of applications increased every year.

In this respect, he hoped that the flying squads could help officers in Johor to clear the backlog which was due to among others the shortage of staff.

On land fraud in Selangor, he said the Cabinet viewed the matter seriously and wanted immediate action to prevent a repeat of such cases.

He said that when land registration was computerised, several officers in the District Office had taken the opportunity to feed false information to the buyers regarding vacant land in the state.

According to information received, four officers believed to be involved in the scam had been transferred to other departments, he said.

Dr Tan urged buyers who felt that they had been cheated to report the matter to the authorities.

Meanwhile, the Penang Survey and National Mapping Department has introduced an online service to allow the public or land administrators to conduct a search of land status.

Those interested could open an account with the department for a payment of RM200 and a password will be issued to the users.

EARLIER, Dr Tan when visiting the Tun Abdul Razak Complex (Komtar), the tallest building in Penang and where government offices and business premises are located at, told reporters that the building has yet to receive its strata title although the building has been occupied for the past 25 years. The building, which is the island's landmark, had complicated problems, resulting in its failure to obtain the strata title.

However, he said the State Survey and Mapping Department with assistance from the State department of Land and Mines were working hard to prepare all the neccessary documents in order to expedite the issuance of the title.

Dr Tan said Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon had directed Komtar's developer, the Penang Development Corporation to speed up the strata title application.