Can You And I Buy Land From Dbkl

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If I want to purchase a piece of land from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), what steps do I need to follow?
Can I go to the reception counter and request an application form? But before that, will it provide a list of land available for sale? Is a list of available plots displayed on the notice boards or the website?
The answer is “no”, but is such information conveyed only to a select few, mainly developers and selected titled individuals? Doesn’t Joe Public get equal opportunities to buy state land?
Under these circumstances, will land designated for public amenities, such as police stations, fire stations, or schools, end up in private hands?
ADSDespite having a large communications team, DBKL will never attempt to provide answers. Internally, such details will be classified as “sulit” (confidential), and even asking for more information could constitute a breach of the Official Secrets Act.
In 2004, the developers of Effingham Estate (now Bandar Utama) surrendered six parcels of land intended for public amenities, but all of them ultimately ended up in private hands.
However, more shocking was that the land designated for a cemetery ultimately fell into the hands of a developer.
I then wrote: “First, they pinched land from the poor. Then they pilfered playgrounds from children. Now, they are even stealing from the dead!
“One administration handed over land acquired for a cemetery to a private developer. The succeeding administration destroyed a forest reserve to replace the land that had been stolen.”
Those were the bad old days of the BN government, which saw itself as “we can do no wrong”, defying any authority and breaching the statutes.
But even with the change in government and the Madani administration in charge, little has changed.
Nevertheless, the questions to DBKL must be recorded not for posterity but to be raised when the prime minister or members of his cabinet and party claim, “We are open and transparent.”
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid HamidiReally?
But when elections were called more than two years ago, Pakatan Harapan knew that it would be a drawcard and featured in its manifesto: “City councils like DBKL are now seemingly run like private, for-profit companies that prioritise the interest of developers without taking any heed to the welfare and interest of residents.
“Therefore, we need more effective democratisation to protect the interests of the people. Malaysians have the right to participate in the democratic process at the local government level to ensure their welfare is safeguarded.
“The Harapan government will work hard to empower democracy and transparency in DBKL through systematic methods. This effort will ensure that all Malaysians can elect representation that is reliable, inclusive, and represents the interests of the people, not the developers.”
ADSDBKL’s lack of transparency, accountability
DBKL only has an advisory board and does not have appointed councillors. It also lacks state-level representation, such as state assembly members, as in other states.
What about the de facto DBKL councillors who are referred to as advisors? Don’t they have a say in, or are they required to endorse, any land transaction?
I doubt that any of them know how many parcels of land have been sold over the years and will be unable to say if DBKL obtained “fair value” for the land.
There have been rumours that specific individuals, through their respective companies, had acquired up to 20 tracts of land each from DBKL. In the absence of transparency, it will remain so until proven or dismissed.
However, it is essential to note that most of them are party appointees, and would they have the gall and gumption to ask questions, let alone raise objections, or have their wings been clipped? They would rather feign ignorance, claiming not to have seen or heard anything, lest they not be reappointed.
Well, like many other promises of reform, we continue the “tradition” of appointing party members or cronies to local authority boards as a reward for their loyal services.
Ability, competency, and qualifications do not matter, as you are only expected to raise your hand and say “setuju” (agree) to proposals presented at the meeting.
There was one outstanding exception when the Petaling Jaya mayor tried to overrule the decision of its One-Stop Centre to reject an application to develop a parcel of land.
Councillors stood up to him, citing Section 26 (1) of the Local Government Act, which states: “Except as otherwise prescribed, all questions coming before any meeting of the local authority shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the councillors present.”
So, who keeps an eye on their activities and, sometimes, dubious transactions? It is left to citizens to glean whatever knowledge from leaks and publicly available information to question land deals, a prime example being the sale of land meant for a police station in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur.
Will we see a glimpse of the reformasi that was promised in DBKL, or will it be another case of reformati? - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who tries to live up to the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: [email protected].
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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