KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd and its liquidator have filed a new suit at the High Court against the government and six other defendants over a parcel of land in downtown Kuala Lumpur known as the Duta Enclave, seeking an order compelling the government to sell the land and account for the proceeds, or alternatively, equitable compensation.
The suit was filed on Thursday (October 8) by Semantan Estate and its liquidator Lai Chee Chuen, through Messrs AG Kalidas Doris & Nada, naming the government, the Federal Lands Commissioner, the minister responsible for land in the Federal Territories, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister, the Director-General of Lands and Mines, the Director of Lands and Mines (Federal Territories), and the Registrar of Titles (Federal Territories) as defendants.
In the statement of claim obtained by the press, the company, which is in members’ voluntary liquidation, estimated the land’s current market value at between RM12 billion and RM13 billion and alleged that the government had continued to occupy, develop, and benefit from the land despite a 2009 High Court order declaring that the purported acquisition was ‘void ab initio’ (void from the beginning).
Semantan Estate claimed that the government took possession of the land between 1956 and 1958 under the Land Acquisition Enactment 1923 for the stated purpose of establishing a 'Diplomatic Enclave', subsequently dividing it into 38 lots measuring 230.851 acres and registering the title under the Federal Lands Commissioner, while the remaining 32.421 acres were used for roads and infrastructure.
The plaintiffs also claimed that the land was never used for its gazetted purpose but was instead developed for official, cultural, and commercial buildings, as well as roads, a flyover, and other infrastructure.
The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the government holds the land on trust for Semantan Estate, as well as an order compelling the government to sell the land and account for the proceeds after permitted deductions.
Alternatively, they are seeking equitable compensation for the alleged breach of trust or damages under Article 13 of the Federal Constitution for the alleged deprivation of the company’s property rights.
They also want restitution for the benefits allegedly derived by the government from its continued occupation and use of the land, interest at five per cent per annum on sums ordered to be paid, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.
A check of the court's e-filing system showed that the suit has been fixed for case management before High Court Judge Datuk Anand Ponnudurai on November 3.
Regarding the previous suit, the High Court has set October 16 to continue the compensation assessment hearing following the government’s settlement offer.
The dispute involving Semantan Estate began in 2003 when the company sued the government, claiming the land was acquired illegally; the High Court ruled in Semantan Estate's favour in 2009, finding that the government had acquired the land illegally and that the company had a beneficial interest in it.
The government's subsequent appeals were unsuccessful, and in February 2017, the company filed a suit to enforce the 2009 judgment.
A High Court order in August 2024 directing the transfer of land title was later overturned by the Court of Appeal, leading to the current compensation assessment proceedings.
On November 13, 2025, the Federal Court dismissed Semantan Estate's application for leave to appeal the Court of Appeal's decision that the Federal Territory Land Titles Registrar did not need to register 263.272 acres of land in Duta Enclave in the company's name.
Thus, the Court of Appeal's decision in favour of the government remains in force because the company cannot continue its appeal to the Federal Court after failing to obtain leave. The case was then returned to the High Court for a hearing to assess damages.
On June 24, 2025, the Court of Appeal ruled that Semantan Estate was not entitled to the title to the, but that the company was entitled to appropriate compensation, which would be assessed based on the land's value in 1956, when the government acquired it.
The disputed land is located in the prime area of Jalan Duta, known as the Duta Enclave, which houses government buildings including the National Hockey Stadium, the Malaysian Integrity Institute, the National Archives, the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court, the Inland Revenue Board, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Academy.
