Zahar’s citizenship call

> High time for govt to tighten application procedures

KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang ( pix) said it was high time for the government to tighten the procedures to approve citizenship applications.

“A study must be done to tighten the approval process for citizenship applications. We shouldn’t approve it so easily.

“Foreigners in Japan, for example, only make up 7% of its population, but here, we have 20%. This is because we brought in so many foreigners to the extent of causing our own people to lose their jobs.

“We must be responsible for this. It needs a strong political will and sacrifices from all quarters, including nongovernmental organisations and the people to make it work,” he said at the 7th Fikrah Ummah discourse on the role of Parliament in preserving the interests of the Malays through Federal Constitution at Menara Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka yesterday.

On another issue, he said the government should establish a Land Tribunal to regulate the sale and purchase of land, especially Malay reserve land.

“(Matters concerning) Malay reserve land are stated in the Federal Constitution.

“Each state should have Malay reserve land, but now it has declined to only a small percentage. Where did it go? What happened?

“If the government can establish the Construction Court and a special tribunal to regulate matters concerning the construction, sale and purchase of houses, then why can’t a land tribunal be set up?”

Abu Zahar said the tribunal, if established, will also be capable of preventing land scams involving Malay reserve land, which sometimes are left undetected even by the owners until a building or housing estate is built in the area.

He said this was because there were cases of land scams that proved that it was very easy for a Malay reserve land title to slip away from the owner.

“Some individuals, allegedly a village head, can falsify the original land grant without the knowledge of the owner, and then sell the land to a developer who can easily get the approval for development from the Land Office. That is how easy Malayowned land can be sold,” he added. – Bernama