The Faculty of Accountancy and Management in collaboration with LandServe organised a webinar titled “The Land Acquisition Process in Malaysia” on 9 November 2021 via Microsoft Teams. Speaking at the webinar was LandServe (Johor) Sdn Bhd Executive Director Sr Wee Soon Chit. In the webinar, Wee spoke about the purpose and function of the land acquisition act 1960, administrative state of acquisition, constitutional rights of landowners, power to acquire property, the principle of compensation, notice of enquiry and other related topics.

Wee said, “The act is related to the acquisition of land to assess compensation due to such acquisition and to govern the procedures involved. There are eight parts in the land acquisition act 1960. It involves the interpretation, the procedure in publishing notice, assessing market value and making an award based on the First Schedule of the Act. The act also empowers land administrators to make a summary enquiry and explains the process of taking possession, payment of compensation, extension and withdrawal of acquisition, reference to the high court, service of notice, use of land under certain circumstances and miscellaneous matters.”

He added, “The compulsory land acquisition happens when government acquires privately-owned lands for any public purpose or a purpose beneficial to Malay’s economic development. The landowners will be paid compensation for losses incurred to the surrendering of their land to the government. The land administrator has the power to obtain a written opinion of the value of the scheduled land from a valuer, postpone the hearing of an enquiry in writing, summon and examine the witness as well as administer oaths and affirmations.”

Explaining the role of private valuers, he said, “The role of the private valuers is to advise on the land acquisition process and the client’s rights to claim for fair compensations as well as to obtain all relevant information pertaining to the acquisition from relevant authorities such as gazette notifications, plans drawings and notices. The private valuers also conduct inspection on the property and its neighbourhood and investigate all relevant factors to ascertain the market value and other compensation suffered by the client as well as liaise with the relevant authorities and appear before the land administrator during the hearing to obtain relevant information on behalf of their client for their best interest. Aside from those, the valuers also prepare and submit valuation report to the authority to claim for compensation.”

Wee graduated from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in Surveying (Hons) Property Management. He is a registered valuer as well as an estate agent in the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers, Malaysia. Wee is also a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM). He holds membership with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, United Kingdom (RICS) and Private Property and the Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the Private Sector Malaysia (PEPS). He is also the past chairman of RISM Johor and PEPS Johor.