State Govts agree with new method to expedite processes on land development
23/03/2007 The Star By V.P.SUJATA

PUTRAJAYA: All state governments have agreed with the Government's proposed new concept and method to expedite processes on land development.

This would included speedy implementation of high impact projects and housing projects built under the "build then sell concept".

With the state governments' consensus Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi now can announce the method and concept in detail on April 13 and it would be executed immediately.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the approval by the state authorities was received during the National Local Government Council meeting here on Friday.

"The current method used takes up a lot of time and the Housing and Local Government Ministry has studied the new system.

"Today's meeting is to get the state government's approval on the new method which is a paradigm shift in processing applications for land development projects.

"The day it is announced by the Prime Minister, it will be executed with the necessary procedural actions being taken such as getting formal approval from the state governments," he told reporters after chairing the meeting.

Najib added that the committee had also decided that council presidents be appointed Commissioner of Buildings to ensure better monitoring and maintenance of buildings once the strata titles are issued.

When asked if the local authorities had the expertise to detect landslides such as the one at Precinct 9 in Putrajaya, Najib said assistance was needed from technical departments.

"Sometimes it is difficult to anticipate such things; we don't know what is happening underneath. Not all local authorities have such expertise," he said, adding that he was waiting for a full technical assessment on the landslide before pointing fingers on who was at fault.

On the Meteorological Department's warning that heavy rain was expected over the next few days, Najib said local authorities were constantly prepared to make arrangements of evacuation during floods and other eventualities.