Selangor has been making efforts to legalise businesses. — Filepic
SINCE 2019, only 43% of the 1,329 unlicensed factories in the Klang district that are occupying agricultural plots have applied to convert their land status and register with the Klang Municipal Council (MPK).
State local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said 576 factories applied to legalise their operations.
“Based on MPK’s census, there are still 753 unlicensed factories in Port Klang, Klang, Kapar and Meru.
“All are industrial units operating on agricultural land and need to apply for the land to be converted to industrial status.
“MPK and even the Klang District Land Office have offered various incentives to ease the legalisation but the business owners have failed to come forward.”
Ng added that efforts were being made to resolve the various issues.
StarMetro report on Sept 22, 2020
Some factory operators were unwilling to surrender the land for drainage or road expansion in order to comply with planning permission conditions, he said.
In some cases, the owners of the premises were not the actual land owners or the factory was on agricultural land belonging to multiple owners but one or more were deceased, Ng told reporters.
He was speaking after a town hall session with about 300 owners and operators of unlicensed factories in Klang.
Efforts to legalise the operations, he said, were initiated in July 2006 with the Selangor government taking the lead to facilitate the process but response was lukewarm.
“Our aim to legalise the factories is to enable the businesses to eventually export their products while ensuring the state has business-friendly policies.”
Ng added that Selangor would continue to push for these factories in Klang to legalise their operations.
Also present was MPK president Datin Paduka Noraini Roslan as well as officers from other local authorities.
