Dr Mohd Hasrol Hafiz Aliasak, an academic from Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM), called for the creation of a special trustees board to oversee the interests, use and management of Malay reserve land. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Malays could end up landless like the Palestinians in their home country in the near future unless safeguards are put in place to improve the management of dwindling land reserves for Malaysia’s largest ethnicity, a forum on the matter organised by Perkasa heard today.

Dr Mohd Hasrol Hafiz Aliasak, an academic from Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM), called for the creation of a special trustees board to oversee the interests, use and management of Malay reserve land and to ensure any state development or acquisition of the said land is done above board.

The board would also hold state governments responsible to replace any reserve land which had reached its expiration status and to avoid the land from being owned by non-Malays or foreigners.

“Do we want a future where Malays do not own land? Imagine the map of our Malay land becoming the same like the map of Palestine.

“Where will we seek refuge if this land belongs to someone else? Do we want to be visitors on land which belonged to our forefathers?” he said at a forum titled “Malay Reserve Land: The Tragedy Affecting Our rRce and Measures for Immediate Correction.”

Citing his own research in 2009 on the matter, Mohd Hasrol claimed that only 12 per cent out of 12.9 million hectares of land in Peninsula Malaysia, not including Penang and Malacca, is still considered Malay reserve land.

The problem, he said, is that it is hard to keep track of land matters as it is under the jurisdiction of state governments.

The special board, said the academic, should be led by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the royal council of rulers, federal and state government representatives as well as those from various religious authorities.

“The board should be given prosecution powers in the event that there are people who misuse the reserve land, whether or not it is reserve land belonging to the government or individuals,” he said.

“Remember, land is a symbol of power and authority of a race in their own country,” Mohd Hasrol added.

However, another panellist, former secretary-general of the Land and Co-operatives Ministry Datuk Nik Mohd Zain Yusof, argued that Article 89 of the federal constitution allowed for the increase of Malay reserve land in the state.

He said that this could be done provided federal and state government leaders had the political will to do so.

“Malay reserve land can be increased if there is political will.

“Any undeveloped land can be classified as Malay reserve land,” the former government servant said.

Section 7 of the Malay Reservations Enactment (Federated States) 1935 bars the disposal of reserve land to non-Malay owners.

Section 8 of the same enactment also prohibits the transfer of ownership to non-Malays.

Article 89 of the Federal Constitution states that any land that was a Malay reserve before Merdeka may continue as a Malay reservation.

The power to gazette land as Malay reserve lies with the mentri besar, on the advice of the state rulers.