KEDAH MACC SUBMITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN LAND MANAGEMENT GOVERNANCE

ALOR SETAR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The Kedah branch of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has submitted several recommendations for improving governance to strengthen the management practices of Reserved Certificate (RC) land and Non-Muslim Houses of Worship (RIBI) in the state.

It said in a statement that the recommendations were presented during an engagement session led by Kedah MACC deputy director of Prevention Syed Aswadi Syed Soffian, and attended by Mohd Tarmizi Abdul Rani, secretary of the Management Services Division of the Kedah State Government Secretary's Office (SUK), and Amirah Khairiah Abdul Latip, deputy director (Development) of the Kedah Land and Mines Office (PTG).

According to the statement, the recommendations presented at the session held at the Kedah State Secretary's office here on Monday were part of ongoing efforts to improve the quality of coordination and administrative efficiency of state land.

It said the recommended improvements emphasise building a clearer, more easily referenced, and more consistent governance framework across agencies, including efforts to streamline guidance documents related to RC and RIBI management to align with current needs.

“This approach is expected to help improve mutual understanding and ensure that every process involving land transactions can be carried out with a higher level of accuracy and consistency.

“As a complement to that effort, the recommendations also focused on improving the information system and providing more organised and systematic land records to support administrative efficiency,” said the statement.

According to the MACC, the preparation of a more comprehensive database will strengthen the accuracy of references, facilitate access to information, and enhance the agency's capacity to coordinate actions related to RC and RIBI land.

Additionally, the Kedah MACC also suggested that periodic engagement sessions be established involving the MACC, the State Secretary's Office, and the PTG as a platform for continuous coordination to strengthen information sharing, enhance operational cooperation, and support the implementation of land governance in a more integrated and responsive manner to the needs of the state administration.

Meanwhile, Syed Aswadi also said in the statement that the proposed strengthening efforts are a strategic step to ensure land management governance aligns with the principles of integrity and accountability, which are the core of the state administration.

"Every aspect of land management needs to be supported by a clear, transparent, and consistent governance framework," he said.

Meanwhile, the Kedah SUK and Kedah PTG also welcomed the proposed improvements and agreed to review and implement them in stages, with a target completion period of 12 months.

-- BERNAMA