KUALA SELANGOR, June 12 — The state government won’t tolerate any land encroachment and the building of illegal structures, including the “foreigner flat” in Kampung Baru Sungai Makau, Hulu Langat, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He added that such structures would be demolished per the law, and the land on which they were built could be confiscated.
“I have gotten assurance from the district officer, that immediate action will be taken to demolish (the foreigner flat), and if there is a need for confiscation, we will (manage the) land confiscation, but land confiscation isn’t that simple, because it is an ownership (issue). (The owners) pay premiums so we have to give them leeway.
“There are some cases where we act firmly in bringing them to court because it is procedure. Of course illegal settlements must be demolished and addressed as best possible,” he said.
Amirudin also said the state government’s enforcement actions don’t hinge on squatters’ backgrounds or nationality, but depend on legal compliance and land administration regulations.
“All (illegal settlements), we will address not based on whether they were erected by Rohingya or Indonesian or Vietnamese or Nepalese people… The issue is a land administration and management issue,” he added.
He said the problem of illegal settlements isn’t new and must be continuously addressed to ensure land administration is systematic and legally compliant.
On claims by certain quarters about the demolition of illegal settlements, Amirudin said the action was taken to fulfil development needs and serve public interest.
“Last time, we demolished (an illegal settlement) to build the Pulau Kedondong flood mitigation (project). The opposition brought it up and objected to it, saying we’re supposedly crushing Malay power, when the majority of residents there were foreign migrants of several generations,” Amirudin explained.
Previously, Hulu Langat district officer Dato’ Mohd Jusni Hashim said the foreigner flat in Sungai Makau would be demolished, after several enforcement actions by authorities over the past few years.
He said a large part of the building was built on individual-owned land, while a small portion is on a road reserve.
