Sunday, April 27, 2008

Ngeh: Residents have to reapply if land premiums are not settled on time - The Star

IPOH: April 2008

The Perak Government is asking residents of planned villages and new villages who have received letters of offer from the previous government to pay up their land premiums quickly.

State senior executive council member Ngeh Koo Ham said this was to avoid the offer lapsing should they not meet the respective deadlines set out by the previous state government.

“Once the offer lapses, they will have to reapply for the land and that will take time,” he said at a press conference at the Wisma DAP yesterday.

Ngeh said there was confusion among land applicants whether or not to heed the demand for land premium payment sent out before the March 8 general election.

Under the offer by the previous state government, land applicants who were offered 60-year titles were given an 80% rebate in premium while a 50% rebate was given to those offered 99-year titles.

“There is no need to wait. It does not matter if the land had been approved for 60 or 99 years, settle the premiums first.

“The new coalition government will take into consideration what has been paid when converting the land titles to freehold titles,” he said.

The state government earlier this month announced that permanent land titles would be issued to all planned villages and new villages in Perak.

Ngeh, however, asked the people to give the Land Office time to get ready the necessary forms for the conversion exercise.

On another matter, Ngeh, who is Sitiawan assemblyman and Beruas MP, apologised to his constituents for not being able to return to serve them personally as of yet, due to the heavy workload at state level.

“It is my immediate responsibility to ensure that the state government moves forward and policies are implemented,” he said.

He later introduced his two new political secretaries, Paul Yong Choo Kiong and Lee Yik Haw, who will assist him in Sitiawan and Beruas respectively.

Ngeh said he would set up another service centre in Beruas besides his present three centres in Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan and Pantai Remis.

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