RM11.9 billion land deals
KOTA KINABALU: The State Lands and Surveys Department recorded RM11.973 billion land transactions in the state last year, said its director Datuk Safar Untong.
He said the highest transactions were the Memorandum of Charge which amounted to RM7.6 billion and Memorandum of Transfer which involved RM4.26 billion.
"The amount (of transactions) is significant in driving the economy of the state and thus our department will continue to strive in creating more effective services in land dealings registration system," Safar said during the launch of enhanced version of the Land Dealings Electronic Submission System (LaDESS) version 2.1 at its headquarters office here.
Safar said the system was developed between the department and Sabah Law Association with new enhancement that would shorten the delay in processing land transactions by his department.
The target in implementing the system was to conclude land dealings in seven days.
The Ladess 2.1 version which will become operational on December 1 comes with an online name and share search; online forms filling for submission; online status inquiries; online memo slip printout; SMS notification; registration of land clerks; recognition of batch submission; and improved Quality Management System (QMS) (MS ISO) and Human Resource Management (HRM).
He added that the system would enable legal firms to carry out their land transactions with the department, online.
However, members of the public will still be required to go to the department (including their branches at district level) to carry out their land related transactions via kiosks and with assistance from the department's land clerks, he said.
He also said clients would be informed of the outcome of their applications via SMS.
Prior to the launch of the system yesterday, Haji Safar said they had carried out a trial run to check its efficiency.
"The system can carry out simple land transaction in less than 25 minutes, while multiple land dealings can be concluded in less than five days," he said.
Presently, the system handles all land titles except for Native Titles.
Eventually, the department also hopes to move towards paperless land title, he said.
"We will amend the (Land) Ordinance to allow the digital land title. However, our culture in Asia is we want the hard copy," he said.
Currently, the only country adopting the digital land title is New Zealand, he said.
Meanwhile, the Ladess Technical Committee chairman cum the department's deputy director (survey), Bernard Liew Chau Min said as of April 14, this year, delays in the registration of land dealings that were less than 10 days were 635 or 13 percent; delays that were between 11 days and 20 days were 845 or 17 percent; delays that were between 21 days and 40 days were 2,796 or 57 percent; and delays that exceeded 40 days were 605 or 12 percent.
He also noted improvements in the percentage of registered land dealings between April and November this year, with no transactions exceeding 26 days by November 21.
The percentage of land dealings taking less than five days have also increased from only one percent in April this year, to 56 percent by November 21, this year.
The system was created through a joint collaboration between the Sabah Law Association (SLA) and the Lands and Surveys Department.
Representing SLA at the event was its deputy president, Roger Chin.