Kota Kinabalu: The Lands and Surveys Department is starting a Mobile Land Office to serve communities in remote areas of Sabah on land matters.Its Director Datuk Safar bin Untong said the mobile office is necessary so that services for the people, especially those in the interior, can be extended without any hassle as some natives in remote places and face transportation problems due to access and financial constraints."The idea was mooted under the 'Perkhidmatan Tanah Anak Negeri Sabah' (Pantas) programme or Sabah Native Land Services with the objective of helping the Native or 'Anak Negeri' of Sabah on land matters.
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We showcased our soon-to-be Mobile Land Office in a Mobile Community Transformation programme (CTC) at the Ranau Tamu ground on Nov. 11-12 officiated by State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun. It saw the participation of some key federal agencies such as National Registration Department, Health Department, Election Commission (SPR), Federal Ministry of Finance and others.
"The Lands and Surveys Department accepted the invitation and apart from (introducing) the Mobile Land Office put up two exhibition booths," he said in a statement, Wednesday.Safar said the mobile office is capable of rendering services such as payment of quit rent, land application registration, checking of the land application status and conducting land enquiry for native customary claims.
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He said when Lands and Surveys Department was invited to participate in this CTC programme, he quickly responded because it would not only expose the newly recruited staff but also test and trouble-shoot our in-house mobile system. During the programme, the department deployed 19 staff, a mini bus and a van, which are fully customised to fit in a mobile office.
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The Department was the only state agency that showcased its mobile office in Ranau."I am sure the public must have heard of Pantas programme because we have been launching it in some districts and the latest, coincidentally, in Kg Maukab, Ranau. Under the programme, the department will survey and give out land titles (Native Titles) to natives who have been occupying and cultivating the lands for generations but still not in possession of any land title. "The survey and issuance of land titles will be done in a fast track approach and in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for this programme where the land titles can be issued in eight months," he said.So far, the Pantas programme which commenced in 2012 have surveyed 9,503 lots (12,262 hectares) involving more than 100 villages and a total of 2050 land titles have been issued.
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At the moment, he said, the department had implemented and been implementing Pantas programmes in Beluran, Kinabatangan, Beaufort, Sipitang, Telupid, Sandakan, Papar, Kudat, Keningau, Tongod, Tuaran, Tawau, Lahad Datu dan Ranau in line with its vision of achieving at least one Pantas programme in one district. He said the Pantas programme is fully funded by Federal.
