Valuation Rates Questioned in Duta Enclave Compensation Hearing

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — The Federal Government today challenged the valuation methodology applied by a licensed land valuer in assessing the 1956 historical market value of the 263.272-acre Duta Enclave land, pointing out that several comparable land sales cited in his own report were transacted at rates below his adopted RM6,000-per-acre baseline.

Senior Federal Counsel Nurhafizza Azizan, representing the government, raised the discrepancies during her cross-examination of Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd’s valuer, Foo Gee Jen, before High Court Judge Roslan Mat Nor in the ongoing compensation assessment proceedings.

Nurhafizza directed Foo to various comparable land transactions listed within his own valuation document—including residential bungalow plots and land parcels in Bukit Tunku—which the expert witness had utilized to calculate the 1956 market value of the subject property located in Mukim Batu.

Foo, testifying as a witness for the plaintiff, rejected the Senior Federal Counsel’s assertion that his adopted valuation rate of RM6,000 per acre was excessive or unsupported by documentary evidence and government valuation reports.

The witness also disputed suggestions that the Duta Enclave parcel was classified strictly as agricultural land at the material time, though he conceded that he maintained no formal historical records demonstrating that the land carried a non-agricultural classification in 1956.

In his written witness statement, Foo detailed that his comprehensive assessment encompassed the baseline market value of the property, alongside secondary damages suffered or likely to be suffered as a result of land severance and injurious affection.

Foo clarified that the valuation exercise was executed pursuant to an order issued by the Court of Appeal on June 24, 2025, which instructed that financial compensation be assessed strictly under the statutory framework of the Land Acquisition Act 1960.

The high-stakes land dispute traces back to 2003, when Semantan Estate filed suit against the government, alleging that the 263.272-acre prime property had been acquired unlawfully. In 2009, Judicial Commissioner Zura Yahya ruled in favor of Semantan Estate, holding that the government had acquired the land illegally and declaring that the company retained beneficial ownership.

However, on June 24, 2025, the Court of Appeal determined that Semantan Estate was not entitled to re-register the physical land titles into its name, ruling instead that the company was entitled solely to monetary compensation based on the land’s market value in 1956, the year of the initial acquisition.

The appellate ruling was affirmed on November 13, 2025, when the Federal Court dismissed Semantan Estate’s application for leave to appeal the decision. With the Court of Appeal’s ruling remaining in full force, the matter returned to the High Court for formal assessment of damages.

The contested site in Jalan Duta houses critical public institutions and government facilities, including the National Hockey Stadium, the Malaysian Integrity Institute, the National Archives, the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court, the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Academy.

The assessment hearing before Judge Roslan Mat Nor is scheduled to resume on September 1.

–NMT