00:01The Court of Appeal has ordered the government to compensate Samantan Estates Sundram Berhad for occupying a 106-hectare piece of land, better known as Duta Enclave, in Kuala Lumpur for close to 50 years.
00:16A three-member Court of Appeal bench, chaired by Justice Lee Sui-Seng, said monetary compensation was a better option than transferring the land title to the company.
00:28Lee said that since the land in question houses several key government buildings, a transferable title is not feasible.
00:36The government had said it was prepared to pay adequate compensation and not transfer the property to the company.
00:43Justices Azima Omar and Juan Ahmad Farid Monsaleh also heard the appeal.
00:48The bench dismissed Samantan Estates' appeal for a mandamus to transfer the land to the company and compel the land authorities to register the land.