Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on May 14, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Plantation Bhd (SDP) has accused the Jasin District Land Administrator of proceeding to facilitate the compulsory acquisition of its land in Merlimau, Melaka by a foreign-owned company even though SDP had applied for a judicial review of the acquisition.

SDP head of land management Mohd Razlan Mohd Rahim said the land administrator had issued Form H — a written notice of the award of compensation by the land administrator to the affected party — just three days after SDP filed its application on April 29.

In a fresh affidavit dated May 10, Mohd Razlan said it is inappropriate for the land administrator to take any action to alter the status quo concerning the land’s status, after SDP initiated legal action.

It is an act of mala fide (ill intended) and may amount to contempt of court, he said in the affidavit sighted by The Edge Financial Daily yesterday.

Mohd Razlan said the land administrator’s swift action in issuing Form H, after the controversial acquisition of the land was publicised, shows it is conspiring to help Taiwan-controlled GI A Resources Sdn Bhd to proceed with the acquisition.

“This confirms the issuance of Form H is not done to comply with the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, but is in fact an ill-intended action to cover up the abuse of the act,” said Mohd Razlan.

In its judicial review application, SDP sought to stop the compulsory acquisition of the 75ha land in Merlimau by GI A Resources at below the market price.

The Taiwan-controlled company allegedly claimed to be acting in the former Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V’s interest in acquiring the land.

In the application filed at the High Court in Melaka, SDP also named the Melaka State Land and Mines Department, the Melaka state government and GI A Resources as respondents.

Mohd Razlan, in his affidavit, claimed the land administrator’s latest action is aimed at pressuring SDP to give up its land to GI A Resources. He accused the authorities involved of conspiring with the foreign-controlled company to oppress SDP, a government-linked company.

“The court needs to ensure the respondents do not engage in an act of mischief and divert the course of justice,” he said in the affirmed document.

Therefore, he urged the court to issue an interim injunction to stop the respondents from taking any further action to facilitate the compulsory acquisition of the land to SDP’s detriment.

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