Duta Enclave: Court told RM1.39mil govt payout to Semantan Estate more than adequate
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was told today that the RM1.39 million in compensation paid by the Government of Malaysia to Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd for the acquisition of 263.272 acres (106.544ha) of land, known as the Duta Enclave, in 1956 was more than adequate.
A High Court in Malaysia has determined that the RM1.39 million compensation paid by the Malaysian Government to Semantan Estate for the Duta Enclave land acquisition in 1956 was more than sufficient. Finance Ministry Valuation and Property Services Department assistant director Tan Tat Khuan presented an expert valuation report, stating that the benchmark comparable property used for comparison was Lot 1348, Mukim Kuala Lumpur, a freehold agricultural land.
By adjusting for various factors such as location, size, shape, and accessibility, the adjusted rate was found to be $3,320 per acre, resulting in a total market value of $875,000 (RM875,000) for the 263.272-acre land. Despite claims that the compensation was inadequate, Tan concluded that the government's previous payment of $1,390,602.70 exceeded the recommended compensation amount.
The plaintiff's expert witness, Foo Gee Jen, also failed to account for essential factors like land use and remaining land value increase, rendering the report unreliable. The Federal Court dismissed Semantan Estate's appeal against this decision on November 13, 2025.
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