A way out after 23 years? Govt offers Semantan Estate settlement in Duta Enclave dispute

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — In a bid to resolve over two decades of legal disputes over a prime 106-hectare parcel of land in Kuala Lumpur, the government has extended a settlement offer to Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd. The exact value of the offer was not disclosed during a hearing at the High Court today, where both parties informed Justice Roslan Mat Nor of the proposal.

Government lawyers revealed that the offer was made yesterday, with all settlement proposals first requiring approval by the Finance Ministry. Semantan Estate's lawyers requested a postponement to consider the offer but were denied, as the matter proceeded as scheduled. The dispute began in 2003 when Semantan Estate filed a lawsuit against the government for the unlawful acquisition of the Duta Enclave land in 1956.

The disputed site, now home to several federal facilities, had previously been ruled in Semantan Estate's favor in 2009, but later appellate decisions ruled the company ineligible for the land title. On June 24 last year, the Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Semantan Estate, ordering compensation for the land's value in 1956 and mesne profits for the government's use of the property.

The Federal Court dismissed Semantan Estate's appeal on November 13, leaving the Court of Appeal's ruling in effect and enabling the compensation assessment to commence. Semantan Estate has not yet accepted the offer, which remains undisclosed, with a hearing scheduled for August 21.