New World Bank Report Outlines Malaysia’s Successes and Challenges in Transforming Land Administration
KUALA LUMPUR, 15 November 2017 – Malaysia’s success in reforming land policies and land administration can help other developing countries striving to better manage their resources, says a new World Bank report.
The report, Enhancing Public Sector Performance: Malaysia’s Experience with Transforming Land Administration, outlines the efforts made in peninsular Malaysia to improve systems for land administration.
Reforms that covered land policies and land administration services have been fundamental for peninsular Malaysia’s secure land tenure, a well-functioning land market and sustainable management of land resources. This contributed to economic growth, efficient delivery of public services, environmental protection, as well as social cohesion and security.
Globally, more than 70 percent of the world’s population do not have access to affordable systems to their secure land rights. Innovative and efficient mechanisms to improve land tenure security exemplified by peninsular Malaysia can help governments use land as a productive asset.
“A land administration system that works is a strategic goal for Malaysia. By providing reliable and affordable access to information on land rights, the land market has grown and become an important economic driver for the country,” said Tan Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa, Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia.
Malaysia’s cadaster and land registration system on peninsular Malaysia enables efficient delivery of land administration services, through both qualified and final titles, streamlining business processes, and using information communication technology (ICT) effectively. For example, the early adoption of qualified titles, which allowed land registration without a formal cadastral survey, facilitated the rapid and cost effective completion of national land administration data. The subsequent upgrading to formal titles and adoption of ICT solutions have further improved services and represent a fit-for-purpose approach to land administration.
“As our report shows, Malaysia offers important lessons in administering land - its successes as well as its challenges - enabling other countries to emulate what works and to learn from its pitfalls,” said Faris H. Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Manager for Malaysia.
The report also recognizes some of Malaysia’s challenges. It recommends to avoid complex divisions of national and state land registries, and to integrate data systems in order to provide complete and accurate land data to public and private users. If a unified structure does not exist, it is critical to strengthen coordination between agencies and ensure data integration.
Knowledge and Research reports are flagship publications of the Malaysia Hub. This report is part of the Malaysia Development Experience Series, which strives to capture key learnings from Malaysia that are relevant for developing countries around the globe as they transition out of poverty and into shared prosperity.
