Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr A Xavier Jayakumar is urging lawmakers to revise the National Land Code to prevent foreign nationals from acquiring land in Malaysia, reported The Edge.
Currently, state governments across the country have the power to allow this group of people from other countries to acquire land under Section 433B of the National Land Code.
“If we want to do something, we have to amend the act. Right now, it allows them [foreign nationals] to own land,” he said.
Aside from that, Xavier Jayakumar revealed that the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) under the Prime Minister’s Department has introduced guidelines on property ownership/acquisition since March 2014 that has been approved by the National Land Council.
He stated this after Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim asked about the federal government’s stand on land ownership by foreign nationals during a parliamentary session on Thursday (2 August).
Separately, Xavier Jayakumar said the ban on bauxite mining in Kuantan that was supposed to have been lifted on 30 June would remain in effect until the end of the year.
“It is up to the Pahang state government whether they want to pursue or discontinue the [mining] activity because they are the ones that issue the mining permits – this is a state matter,” he said, adding that he will meet with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail to talk about this matter.
Image sourced from Malay Mail
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