PKR wants issue over alleged illegal factory to be resolved quickly
KUCHING: The Land and Survey Department office in Samarahan has been urged to be more serious in resolving the issue over an alleged illegal factory at Mile 8½, Jalan Kuching-Serian.
PKR Stampin Youth deputy chief Jeffery Mok said the noise from the factory that had been rented to the present tenants/occupiers for tyre retreading works as well as welding and iron works had become a nuisance to residents in the vicinity.
Mok, who is the personal assistant to Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, said the residents through Chu Ma Kiong, 70, had brought to his attention the illegal factory, with the hope that the issue could be resolved.
According to Chu, he had lodged a complaint with the police, official government ‘Talikhidmat’ and Kota Samarahan Municipal Council.
He also said he went to the Land and Survey Department in Samarahan to conduct a land search on the land where the illegal factory was built and found out that the piece of land was only to be used for agriculture purposes.
Chu said he was advised to refer the matter to the enforcement division of the Land and Survey Department in Samarahan as the factory was built illegally and carried out activities in breach of the land title condition.
But he was later informed by the Land and Survey Department that the alleged illegal factory had obtained approval from the State Planning Authority (SPA) for the land to be converted into light industry purposes with the case and approval number of 8D/SPA 28-17-1, he added.
“The approval was only around March this year. The conversion of title condition has not been altered and the landowner has not even paid any premium for the land conversion. And most importantly, the approval granted by SPA is still at a premature stage and has yet to be finalised.
“So, the land is still legally agricultural land and no factory or building should be erected for the time being. However, the said illegal factory was erected before the approval was granted.”
Mok said he managed to discuss the matter with the enforcement division of the Land and Survey Department in Samarahan.
“However, with much disappointment, the Land and Survey Department replied that it is not within their jurisdiction to enforce any action on the said land as there is approval given by SPA, which is not true and misleading.”
He, therefore, urged the department to take the matter seriously and resolve it as soon as possible by ordering the illegal factory to cease operation immediately.
He said the department should not have used a premature approval from the SPA as an excuse that they did not have any jurisdiction and enforcement authority over the matter.