SHAH ALAM, April 23 — Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said District Safety Committees (JKDs) have been set up to address land encroachment issues, including houses of worship built illegally on private land, in a systematic manner without creating conflict.
He added that this approach aims to ensure solutions can be reached with cooperation between various parties, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
“When there is illegal activity on private land, it must be managed by the owner, but when there is sensitive activity, it must be managed well without argument.
“When this encroachment issue comes up, we will activate JKDs, chaired by district officers, so the encroaching party may remove (sacred deities/idols) and landowners may clean up the land.
“We don’t want landowners to have to go to court and bear legal fees. For now, other than activating JKDs, we are also listening to views from Muslim lawyers to return encroached-upon land (to their rightful owners),” Amirudin said.
He was responding to a query by Sungai Burong assemblyman Mohd Zamri Mohd Zainuldin about the reason JKDs are being activated, during the oral question-and-answer session at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.
Amirudin also said that other than land encroachment involving illegally built houses of worship, the Special Committee of Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Tao Religions in Selangor (LIMAS) is identifying shrines that could disrupt public order.
In February, the state government activated JKDs in every district to handle land encroachment issues, following a Selangor State Security Council meeting chaired by Amirudin.
The council decided that landowners whose plots have been encroached upon must lodge police reports to facilitate investigations and legal action.
Landowners must also submit official notices to encroaching parties and update District Offices for follow-up action through JKDs.
JKD-led mediation services are also available.
