Kodundungon: One of Penampang’s handful of paddy fields left.
May I add some fuel to the present raging debates on which politician can offer better/ effective financial option for NT owners.
The colonial government, whatever its intention in the old days, had instituted the NT system to protect NT owners from selling their lands to non-natives.
Fast forward to the present, many NT owners/family members have become very successful political leaders, businessmen, government officials, graduates, professionals [doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers etc] and in almost all endeavours of economic activities.
For many of them, the colonial protection system has turned counter-productive.
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It has become insurmountable barriers for NT owners from realising the true and full value of their landed assets which should be rightfully theirs.
It is therefore overdue time to review this colonial legacy.
Strategic land is scarce and valuable. Land is often a sensitive subject. Many NTs are too valuable for growing padi and/or cattle grazing.
Some are worth hundreds of thousand Ringgit per acre, quite a few even reaching more than a million.
That’s why NTs are often a political issue waiting to be exploited.
The sad part is that excessive politics has overshadowed economic considera-tions at the expense of some NT owners whose NTs are ripe for development.
Ability to develop their NTs can be very rewarding financially.
Perpetual protection turning counterproductive for many NT owners. The animal kingdom practises of letting loose their off springs to fend for themselves.
A sensible father knows it is not beneficial for his children to continue receiving help/protection from cradle to grave.
A wise father will know when to let go, no matter how much he loves them. Life-long fatherly protection will prevent his children from gaining independence, will make them crutch-dependent.
Political leaders who have eyes that can see will easily appreciate this “let them mature up”.
Only political leaders who play self-interest politics will keep on telling them “don’t worry I am here to protect you”.
For many NT owners, this seemingly well intended “protective shield” has become a source of frustration for them, a barrier for them to realize the full potential of their NT lands. Let me explain below.
Present policies/system disadvantage NT owners of realising full potentials of their NTs.
Look at the records. Many NTs, especially in Penampang, have been sold, converted to CLs and rezoned for housing and commercial development.
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Then check the number of NT owners who have successfully converted their titles, develop them so that they can fully derive benefits from their NTs by conversion, rezoning, getting approval for the development plan, development and sale of the units in their projects.
The actual NT owners and/or their families who have succeeded this onerous and expensive exercise is few, I venture to say, less than 5pc. I stand corrected on this assumption.
More often than not, these NTs have been developed by non-bumiputra parties. Why? The answer is simple.
The whole process within the government administration is against the NT owners and favours developers who have the money and “cash is king connections” to get things approved in the murky labyrinth of bureaucracy. The next question is; can the government help the NTs owners?
Of course, it can if it is really interested to help NT owners to add value by facilitating them to develop their own NTs.
By so doing, the government can quite readily create 500 or more NT owners to become new millionaires.
Here are the pointers on how make 500 new millionaire NT owners.
Over last 20 years, development has reached many NTs in greater KK and other towns. These NTs should receive special attention of the government so that the NT owners can develop their NT land themselves.
NTs within 5okm from centre of KK, 30km from Sandakan, Tawau and 20km from all other towns should be included in this proposal.
Likewise, for all NTs which are zoned for tourism and those within 10 km of a major resorts and/or tourism products.
There must be hundreds and hundreds of NTs within proximity of these places.
Provided the NT owners can undertake development of their NTs, from rezoning, subdivide, development [not Ali Baba], construction and sale of completed units, the government can charge them very nominal premium.
Most NT owners can do it provided there is such a government policy. It is not rocket science or going to the moon.
Many bumi families have graduates and/or business persons.
Most NTs are 5 acres or less in size, development can be quite easy.
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These NTs can remain as NTs or to be accorded “freehold lease” with the proviso that bumis and non-bumis can buy the completed units as NTs. This will encourage the banks to consider financing the NT owners/developers.
Effectively, these units remaining as NTs will have a “free hold lease” status and can fetch a premium for the original NT owners instead of a discount. Free hold leases are common in Singapore and W Malaysia.
Using this system, the government can actually achieve the following objectives.
The government will create a new breed of genuine bumiputra millionaires/entrepreneurs in property development.
The government does not need to provide crutches for these NT owners.
This proposal will unlock the full value of NTs for the NT owners.
The best gift government can give NT owners is financial independence.
Most significantly, this system will add a new dimension to the economic development for the bumiputra community.
I appreciate introducing such an idea is quite radical and that the Sabah Land Ordinance needs to be amended and lots of details need to be ironed out.
These should not prevent political leaders from doing it as they have professed their desire to help bumiputras for as long as I can remember with little success. This may the key to help NT owners.
I hope politicians can debate on this idea or take up the challenge for some creative policies for benefits of NT owners. Who knows, they may have better ways to help NT owners and create 500 or more new bumi millionaires!