Kerajaan tawar Semantan Estate penyelesaian dalam pertikaian pampasan

Kuala Lumpur: A resolution regarding the Semantan Estate land dispute has come closer after the government presented a settlement offer to corporate entity Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd. Both parties have informed the High Court Chief Justice Roslan Mat Nor of the offer today, while Semantan Estate has requested for the trial to be postponed to allow the company to consider the offer from Putrajaya.

The specifics of the offer were not disclosed to the court. Senior Law Minister Nurhafizza Azizan stated that the government only submitted the offer for settlement as all settlement proposals needed prior approval from the Ministry of Finance. She expressed the hope that the matter could be resolved as soon as possible, but emphasized that Semantan Estate requires time to deliberate before deciding whether the matter can be resolved fairly.

However, Roslan dismissed the postponement request and stated that he cannot allow proceedings to be delayed. The court session resumed as scheduled with audit officer Foo Gee Jen testifying. The land dispute between Semantan Estate and the government began in 2003 when the company sued the government for allegedly taking 106 hectares of land in Kuala Lumpur known as the Duta Enclave in 1956.

Located along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, formerly known as Jalan Duta, the land now houses several federal government buildings including the National Stadium, the National Archives of the Syariah Court of Malaysia, the National Income Board, and the Anti-Corruption Agency of Malaysia. In 2009, the High Court ruled in favor of Semantan Estate.

However, a subsequent appellate court decision found that the company was not entitled to the land in question. On June 24, 2025, the appellate court ruled that Semantan Estate was entitled to adequate compensation, which must be assessed based on the land's value in 1956 when the government took it over. The court also ordered an assessment of mesne profits, or profits related to the benefit of using the land without rights.

On November 13, the Federal Court rejected Semantan Estate's appeal for relief, leaving the appellate court's decision intact and paving the way for the ongoing settlement hearing at the High Court. The mesne profits hearing was heard separately before High Court Chief Justice Ahmad Shahrir Salleh, with Semantan Estate represented by lawyers Janet Chai, Ira Biswas, and Alexie Ng. The hearing will continue on August 21.