N.SEMBILAN URGES STATUS CHECKS TO AVOID RESERVE LAND ENCROACHMENT

SEREMBAN, April 16 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan government has urged all parties to comply with existing laws concerning the use of government reserve land by verifying its status with the land office.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said any development, including the construction of places of worship and agricultural activities, must first undergo land status checks to avoid encroachment on government reserve lands.

“In matters such as building places of worship or other structures, it is essential to be sensitive. Parties involved must consult the land office to verify the legal status of the land before proceeding.

“For instance, there was an encroachment issue involving a place of worship along Jalan Kuala Pilah-Johol. It was constructed on river reserve land, which is part of a designated flood mitigation project.

“Today, we have agreed to support its demolition due to this violation,” he told a press conference after chairing the state executive council meeting here today.

Aminuddin said efforts are underway to regulate such cases, with state executive councillors working towards a peaceful and amicable resolution.

He said the state government consistently receives updates on places of worship from the state chapter of the National Security Council (MKN) before taking any action, in order to maintain racial harmony and sensitivity among the multiracial community.

In a related matter, Aminuddin said the state has issued temporary occupancy licences (TOLs) to farmers cultivating government reserve land with crops such as durians, oil palm and rubber.

“There are some individuals planting on what we call 'isolated government land', but the number is small. Through the TOLs, the state collects a share of the proceeds from these crops, and in return, licence holders agree to pay an annual fee.

“These cases only involve reserve lands across various districts, and the scale is manageable. We are not clearing forest reserves, nothing of that sort is happening,” he said. 

The Port Dickson MP advised the public not to stir up racial sentiments over the matter, saying that all activities are conducted with the state’s full knowledge and that revenues collected are reinvested into state development.

-- BERNAMA