Malaysia legislation
Section 18A
Section 18A
(a)
where the total area of the land comprised within the new lots is equal to or greater than the total area of the land comprised within the old lots, the
Local Authority shall in consultation with the owners of such old lots devise a scheme for the pooling and re-distribution of the lands within such part whereunder –
23
(i)
all the land comprised within the new lots shall be assumed to constitute a pool available to Government for disposal in accordance with the provisions of such scheme; and
(ii)
any such owner who surrenders his old lot or lots to Government shall become entitled to receive in exchange therefor from
Government a new lot or lots equal in area to such old lot or lots,
(b)
where the total area of the land comprised within the new lots is less than the total area of the land comprised within the old lots so that it would not be practicable to proceed under paragraph (a) but the Local Authority is of opinion that a scheme under which each owner of an old lot or lots would receive in exchange therefor a lesser area of land comprise within a new lot or lots is nevertheless desired by a majority of such owners having regard to the value which such new lots are likely to have upon the completion of the approved scheme, the Local Authority shall in consultation with such owners devise and exchange scheme whereunder
–
(i)
all the land comprised within the new lots shall be assumed to constitute a pool available to Government for disposal in accordance with the provisions of such scheme; and
(ii)
any such owner who surrenders his old lot or lots to Government shall become entitled to receive in exchange therefor from
Government such new lot or lots as the Local Authority and not less than three-quarters in number of the owners affected by such scheme and holding in the aggregate not less than one-half of the total area of the land comprised within the old lots may agree is fair in the circumstances, having regard to the total area of land comprised within the new lots and available for distribution amongst the owners of old lots;
(c)
where the total area of the land comprised within the new lots is less than the total area of the land comprised within the old lots so that it would not be practicable to proceed under paragraph (a) and the Local Authority is
24
of opinion that there is no majority of owners of old lots desiring it to proceed under paragraph (b) the Local Authority shall –
(i)
so inform the Yang di-Pertua Negeri; and
(ii)
publish the fact that it has so informed the Yang di-Pertua Negeri by posting notice thereof up in some conspicuous place in any part of the offices of the Local Authority to which the public has access, and unless within fourteen days from the date of such publication at least one-half of the owners of old lots petition the Yang di-Pertua Negeri for an exchange scheme under paragraph (b) (in which case the Yang di-Pertua Negeri shall direct the Local Authority to proceed under that paragraph and the Local
Authority shall so proceed) it shall be lawful for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri on behalf of the State of Sabah to acquire all or any land comprised within all or any old lots by compulsory acquisition and develop any land so acquired by him in conformity with the approved scheme or cause or arrange in such manner as he may think fit for any such land to be so developed.
(2)
In the course of preparation of any scheme under subsection (1) the Local
Authority shall publish by posting up in some conspicuous place in any part of its offices to which the public has access a summary of the principal terms and conditions of the titles that will be granted to owners acquiring new lots thereunder.
(3)
(a)
Where a pooling and re-distribution scheme has been devised under paragraph (a) of subsection (1), the Local Authority shall –
(i)
reduce it to writing; and
(ii)
publish it by posting a true copy thereof up in some conspicuous place in any part of the offices of the Local Authority to which the public has access; and
(iii)
submit a further such copy thereof to the Council;
(b)
any owner affected may within fourteen days from the publication of a
25
pooling and re-distribution scheme appeal to the Council against the provisions of the scheme in so far as they affect him and the Council shall hear such owner and, if the Local Authority so desires, a representative of the Local Authority and either reject such appeal or make such alteration in the scheme as it may consider will meet the justice of the case:
Provided that no such alteration which affects any other owner shall be made until such other owner has had an opportunity of making his views in regard to the proposed alteration known to the Council and the Council has ruled thereon;
(c)
on the termination of the period of fourteen days mentioned in paragraph
(b)
or, if any appeal made thereunder is then outstanding, on the determination of such appeal, the pooling, and re-distribution scheme with the alterations (if any) made by the Council shall become binding on all owners of the land comprised within the old lots.
(4)
(a)
Where an exchange scheme has been devised under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) and has been accepted in writing by not less than three-quarters in number of the owners affected by such scheme and holding in the aggregate not less than one-half of the total area of the land comprised within the old lots, the Local Authority shall –
(i)
publish it by posting a true copy thereof up in some conspicuous place in any part of the offices of the Local Authority to which the public has access; and
(ii)
submit a further such copy thereof to the Council;
(b)
any owner affected who has not accepted the exchange scheme in writing may within fourteen days from the publication of the scheme appeal to the
Council against the provisions of the scheme in so far as they affect him and the Council shall hear such owner and, if the Local Authority so desires, a representative of the Local Authority and either reject such appeal or make such alteration in the scheme as it may consider will meet
26
the justice of the case:
Provided that no such alteration which affects any other owner shall be made until such other owner has had an opportunity of making his views in regard to the proposed alteration known to the Council and the Council has ruled thereon;
(c)
on the termination of the period of fourteen days mentioned in paragraph
(b)
or, if any appeal made thereunder is then outstanding, on the determination of such appeal, the exchange scheme with the alterations
(if any) made by the Council shall become binding on all owners of the land comprised within the old lots.
(5)
It shall be the duty of the Local Authority to plan, organise and supervise the implementation of any scheme devised under subsection (1) as soon as may be convenient after it shall have become binding and for the purposes of such implementation, without prejudice to such other action as may be proper, it shall be lawful for the Local Authority-
(a)
to call upon any owner to surrender his old lot or lots to Government; and
(b)
to call upon the Director of Lands and Surveys upon completion of such surrenders to grant titles (subject to the terms and conditions published under subsection (2)) in respect of new lots to owners entitled thereto.
(6)
(a)
in any case in which an owner fails to surrender his old lot or lots upon being called upon to do so by the Local Authority under paragraph (a) of subsection (5) the Local Authority shall report the matter to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri who may on behalf of the State of Sabah acquire by compulsory acquisition such owner's old lot or lots;
(b)
notwithstanding anything contained in the Land Ordinance [Cap. 68.] any old lot acquired by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri by compulsory acquisition under paragraph (a) shall be made available by him for the purposes of the scheme in connection with which such lot was so acquired, in consideration whereof the Yang di-Pertua Negeri shall be entitled to participate in such scheme in the place of the owner of such lot and shall have all the rights which the owner would have had under the scheme
27
had he surrendered his lot to Government and in particular the Yang di-Pertua Negeri shall have the rights to possession as owner on behalf of the State of Sabah of any new lot or other consideration which such owner would have received had he participated in such scheme.
(7)
If at any time after a Local Authority has started to devise an exchange scheme it is satisfied that there will not be the agreement thereto of not less than three-quarters in number of the owners affected and holding in the aggregate not less than one-half of the land comprised within the old lots, the Local Authority shall not proceed further with such scheme but shall report the matter to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri and thereafter it shall be lawful for the
Yang di-Pertua Negeri on behalf of the State of Sabah to acquire all or any land comprised within all or any of such old lots by compulsory acquisition and develop any land so acquired by him in conformity with the approved scheme or cause or arrange in such manner as he may think fit for any such land to be so developed.
(8)
Notwithstanding anything contained in section 33 no development rate shall be payable thereunder in respect of any land acquired by any person under a scheme devised under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) or in respect of any house or building erected in accordance with the terms and conditions of a title granted under such scheme.
(9)
Notwithstanding anything contained in this section and for the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared –
(a)
that for the purpose of computing the number of owners required by this section to accept an exchange scheme before such scheme may be submitted by a Local Authority to the Council –
(i)
no account shall be taken of any owner who is not in the State of
Sabah and who, after enquiry, the Local Authority is satisfied has not left in the State of Sabah a representative with full powers to act on his behalf in respect of such owner's holdings affected by such scheme; and
(ii)
any owner who has expressed his willingness to surrender his old lot or lots to the Government for the purposes of the scheme as soon as he is called upon to do so by the Local Authority for any
28
agreed consideration other than a new lot or lots shall be deemed to be an owner who has accepted the scheme; and
(b)
that no exchange scheme shall be invalidated or considered not binding on any owner because he has not appealed against the provisions of such scheme in so far as they affect him by reason of the fact that he was not himself in the State of Sabah and had left no representative in the
State of Sabah with full powers to act on his behalf; and
(c)
that it shall not be necessary for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri before acquiring any land by compulsory acquisition for the purposes of any scheme devised under this section to enter into any prior negotiation for the purchase of such land; and
(d)
that it shall be lawful for the Local Authority to indicate on the map or maps referred to in subsection (1) any old lot or new lot that shall not be included in any scheme devised under that subsection where special considerations apply to such old lot or new lot, whereupon the land comprised within any such lot shall not be taken into account as a new lot or as an old lot as the case may be for the purposes of this section.
(10)
For the purposes of this section any act required or permitted to be done by the
Council shall be deemed to be validly done if done by a committee consisting of such members of the Council as the Council may by resolution authorise either generally or specifically to do such act.
Validation of previous exchange scheme.