KUCHING: The Land and Survey Department clarifies that the issue concerning a surau land is in Surau Darul Taqwa, Kampung Tambirat, located on part of Lot 2150, Block 59, Muara Tuang Land District.
According to its statement, records indicate that the land was originally known as Lot 40, Block 59, Muara Tuang Land District and was leased as private land on November 28, 1958, for a period of 60 years until December 31, 2018.
“The land was designated for agricultural use and was leased to a Chinese individual named Lai Shin Kim and it falls under the Mixed Zone Land category and is classified as Country Land.
“Since 1958, records show that the land has been transferred several times. The current owner, Tan Khi Mong, acquired the land through a sale and purchase agreement, with the transfer registered on September 26, 2014.
“An application for the renewal of the land lease (RLL) was submitted to the Samarahan Division Land and Survey Department on September 29, 2014, by the owner through Jaini Robert Lau and Rajjish Advocates and Solicitors,” it said.
The department then stated that in the application form, the applicant stated that the intended use of the land was for agriculture and that the land was vacant.
“In line with the RLL application policy at the time, especially for agricultural land under the Country Land category, field investigations were not required to determine the current use of the land.
“It was sufficient to determine the land’s use based on the information provided by the applicant in the application form, which the applicant certified as accurate and true.
“This policy aimed to ensure that RLL applications were processed within the stipulated timeframe and to reduce bureaucratic red tape,” it added.
Based on the records from the Samarahan Land and Survey Department, the RLL application for Lot 2150 was approved on October 23, 2014, with a new lease period granted until November 26 of this year.
“The department records also indicate that an application for the site designation of Surau Darul Taqwa, Kampung Tambirat, was submitted and approved by the State Planning Council on October 25.
“A statutory notice under Section 48 of the Sarawak Land Code was approved on October 30 for the purpose of land acquisition for the surau site.
“The land acquisition process is expected to be completed before the end of 2024,” the department stated.
The department also reminds landowners to provide accurate information, especially regarding current developments on the land, when submitting RLL applications.
“To ensure the efficient processing of RLL applications within the specified timeframe, it is the shared responsibility of landowners to submit accurate and truthful information, particularly concerning the current use of the land,” it added.
