Syarikat gagal cabar penswastaan jalan akses ke Genting Highlands

KUALA LUMPUR: Mahkamah Tinggi Temerloh baru-baru ini menolak permohonan syarikat pemaju, GM Aero Support Sdn Bhd, berhubung penswastaan jalan utama menuju ke Genting Highlands.

GM Aero memohon supaya hak milik tanah yang dikeluarkan ke atas jalan berkenaan dibatalkan, dengan alasan langkah itu menjejaskan akses kepada pembangunan komersial yang dirancang syarikat itu di Bentong.

Hakim Roslan Mat Nor memutuskan walaupun syarikat itu adalah pihak yang terkilan dan sudah mengemukakan rayuan dalam tempoh ditetapkan, ia mengambil tindakan mengikut peruntukan undang-undang yang tidak tepat.

Pertikaian itu membabitkan lapan lot tanah yang membentuk jalan utama ke Genting Highlands, yang sudah dilupuskan dan diberikan hak milik pada Mac 2023 oleh pihak berkuasa Pahang kepada Genting Highlands Bhd untuk digunakan sebagai jalan persendirian.

GM Aero mendakwa ia memiliki tanah bersebelahan yang berasal daripada hak milik induk yang sama, dikenali sebagai Lot 8757, dan sudah memperoleh kelulusan perancangan daripada Majlis Perbandaran Bentong untuk membangunkan kawasan itu bagi tujuan komersial.

Syarikat itu berkata, pihaknya hanya mengetahui mengenai pengeluaran hak milik tanah berkenaan pada 11 Julai 2023 selepas dokumen berkaitan dikemukakan dalam satu prosiding Mahkamah Tinggi berasingan.

GM Aero kemudian memfailkan saman terhadap Pengarah Tanah dan Galian Pahang, Pendaftar Hak Milik Pahang, Pentadbir Tanah Bentong dan Genting Highlands Bhd bagi membatalkan hak milik tanah yang dikeluarkan ke atas jalan utama ke Genting Highlands itu.

Dalam alasan penghakimannya, Roslan berkata, mahkamah bersetuju GM Aero adalah pihak yang terkesan dengan keputusan penswastaan itu kerana jalan terbabit adalah laluan utama untuk mengakses tanah miliknya.

"Tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa plaintif mempunyai kepentingan terhadap jalan akses ke tanahnya.

"Plaintif terjejas oleh keputusan defendan dan termasuk dalam takrifan pihak yang terkilan yang boleh membawa rayuan mengikut Seksyen 418 Kanun Tanah Negara," katanya.

Bagaimanapun, Roslan memutuskan rayuan itu gagal kerana keputusan dipertikaikan bukan dibuat Pengarah Negeri, Pendaftar atau Pentadbir Tanah, iaitu pihak berkuasa yang tertakluk mengikut Seksyen 418 Kanun Tanah Negara, sebaliknya pelupusan tanah itu diluluskan pihak berkuasa negeri.

"Mahkamah ini berpendapat adalah jelas keputusan berhubung tanah itu dibuat oleh pihak berkuasa negeri.

"Ini bermakna keputusan itu tidak termasuk dalam peruntukan Seksyen 418 Kanun Tanah Negara dan tidak boleh dirayu di bawah peruntukan itu," katanya.

Beliau berkata, keputusan sedemikian masih boleh dicabar melalui prosedur undang-undang lain yang bersesuaian.

A developer's challenge against the privatisation of the main access road to Genting Highlands has been dismissed by the Temerloh High Court recently.

GM Aero Support Sdn Bhd sought to invalidate land titles issued over the road, arguing that the move affected access to its planned commercial development in Bentong.

Judge Roslan Mat Nor ruled that while the company was an aggrieved party and had filed its appeal within the prescribed period, it had pursued the matter under the wrong legal provision.

The dispute centred on eight parcels of land forming the main access road to Genting Highlands, which were alienated and issued titles in March 2023 by the Pahang State Authority to Genting Highlands Bhd for use as a private road.

GM Aero claimed it owned neighbouring land that originated from the same parent title known as Lot 8757 and had obtained planning approval from the Bentong Municipal Council to develop the area for commercial purposes.

The company said it only became aware of the issuance of the titles on July 11, 2023, after the relevant documents surfaced during separate High Court proceedings.

The company filed the suit against the Pahang Land and Mines Director, the Pahang Registrar of Titles, the Bentong Land Administrator and Genting Highlands Bhd, seeking to invalidate the land titles issued over the main access road to Genting Highlands.

Roslan, in his grounds of judgment, said the court agreed that GM Aero was a party aggrieved by the decision (privatisation) as the road represented the main route to access its land.

"It cannot be denied that the plaintiff has an interest in the access road to its land.

"The plaintiff is affected by the decision of the defendants and falls within the definition of an aggrieved party who may bring an appeal under Section 418 of the National Land Code (NLC)," he said.

However, the judge said the appeal ultimately failed as the impugned decision was not one made by the State Director, Registrar or Land Administrator, which are the authorities covered under Section 418.

Instead, the judge found that the alienation of the land had been approved by the State Authority.

"This court is of the view that it is crystal clear that the decision concerning the lands was made by the State Authority.

"This means that the decision is not covered by the provisions of Section 418 of the NLC and cannot be appealed under that provision," he said.

He added such decisions could potentially be challenged through other legal procedures.

ENDS

From: K