PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Government has agreed to return 55 lots of land that were acquired from the Sabah and Sarawak governments in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
He said it involved 52 lots of land owned by Sarawak and three owned by Sabah.
"Many land lots in Sabah and Sarawak were acquired by the Federal Government but were not developed.
With the return of the land, the two states will be able to develop it.
"These land lots are no longer used by the Federal Government. For safety, health (reasons) and so on, they need to be handed back to the state governments," he told a press conference after chairing the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Technical Committee meeting here on Tuesday (July 18).
He added that the two state governments would pay back the compensation that was paid when the Federal Government took over the land.
Fadillah, who is also Plantation and Commodities Minister, said that so far, Sarawak had wanted a total of 219 lots of land to be returned, while Sabah five. – Bernama
