Semantan Estate mohon jual atau pampasan Duta Enclave ikut nilai semasa

Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd has filed a fresh lawsuit demanding the Malaysian government sell the Duta Enclave land in Kuala Lumpur and pay either the sale proceeds or compensation based on the market value estimated between RM12 billion and RM13 billion. The company argues that it remains the beneficial owner of the 263,272 acres plot despite a previous court ruling blocking it from regaining the land or returning the ownership to the company.

In its claim statement submitted to the High Court last week by the law firm AG Kalidas Doris & Nada, Semantan Estate stated that the government continues to occupy and benefit from the land despite a 2009 court decision that the land grab was unlawful from the start. Semantan Estate, currently in a voluntary winding-up process, is represented by its legal counsel, Jim Lai.

The company is suing the government, the Prime Minister's Office, and five other government officials responsible for land management and registration. Semantan Estate claims the government grabbed the land between 1956 and 1958, allegedly for diplomatic purposes, but then developed it for other uses. The site now houses government offices, cultural and commercial buildings, roads, and other infrastructure.

Semantan Estate argues that Putrajaya holds the land or at least its registered interest as a trustee for the company and should be ordered to sell the asset and disclose the proceeds. The company contends that a payment based on the 1956 market value would cause the company to lose nearly all of its asset's economic value. The company's initial estimate for the value of the land at that time was roughly RM1.58 million.

The company also demands compensation for equity, damages for the breach of fiduciary duty under Article 13 of the Constitution, and restitution for benefits gained by the government through the occupation and use of the land over the years. In June 2025, the Court of Appeal dismissed a High Court order directing the landholder to transfer the land title to Semantan Estate.

The Court of Appeal also directed the valuation of the land at a rate of 6% per annum up to 3 Dec 1956, as per the Former Land Acquisition Act. The Federal Court declined Semantan Estate's application to appeal the decision on 11 Nov. The company maintains that its new claim is distinct from the previous proceeding related to the effort to force the government to transfer the land title.