Good pointers on reviving economy but land office falters
Published on: Sunday, January 17, 2021
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Credit: anchor.fm
Both were very well written, factual and very telling. Lo must have taken time to carry out research for facts and figures. Hopefully Sabah leaders both government and non-government will read and take note of these two articles to enable them to consider and implement whatever is necessary in the interest of the Sabah economy (wealth).
The article on Dec 27, 2020, gives full details on the need for investment, specially foreign, in order to increase Sabah’s productivity and employment. Sabahans must remember that over the last 15 years, both Umno and the Warisan governments had announced more than a few hundred investment proposals by locals and foreigners.
It was also announced that these investments totalled more than a few billion ringgit. The investments included commercial and housing for new cities at Putatan and Papar, and Oil and Gas. Regrettably none of these announced investment projects has come to fruition till this day.
In any case the State Government Agencies such as the Economic Planning Unit and the Sabah Institute for Development Studies, have also not produced any list of potential investments in Sabah.
Actually, there is no large scale investment for Sabah. Agricultural land is dominated by oil palm and all timber extracted. Oil and gas is reportedly too expense to extract. Sabah market is small and exports are unable to compete with Indonesia, Thailand or China and our rural people produce nothing.
It can be said for certain that Sabah produce nothing for the domestic market including vegetables, fruits and fish products, as along with the rest of Malaysia we import food that exceed RM50 billion.
Lo’s article on Jan 3, 2021 entitled “Time certainty, sensitivity and Sabah’s econ” is a fair and just description of the Sabah administration and delivery systems.
It was reported sometime ago on the front page of Daily Express that Sabah loses billions yearly due to delays by the administration in giving business approvals.
This is due to adopting the attitude and practice of “nanti lah – tidak apa” (just wait no harm). Businesses and economic activities need approval for land transactions in the shortest possible time.
However, the Land Office takes months to endorse transfers, conversions and subdivisions can take three to six years! Just these challenges in basic business transaction will scare away local and foreign investors.
Lo mentioned the Land Office had modernised and one can get information on land matters on the spot. But it must be remembered that “Information is just information” nothing else, none of it is legally binding.
Production and endorsement of transactions and subdivision is legally binding to businesses. The modernisation of the Land Office Department was carried out by Datuk Meggatt around 1965.
A retired surveyor
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