STATE OF SABAH
LAND ACQUISITION ORDINANCE
(Sabah Cap 69)
To authorise the acquisition of land for public purposes.
[28th June, 1950.]
1. Short title.
This Ordinance may be cited as the Land Acquisition Ordinance.
INTERPRETATION
2. Interpretation.
In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires, the following
expressions shall have the
meanings hereby assigned to them ?
“authorised officer” means any person who may be appointed as such by the
Yang Di-Pertua
Negeri* for the purposes of this Ordinance in respect of any area set out
in such
appointment;
“Judge” means a Judge of the High Court sitting in Chambers:
†Provided that if such Judge shall be other than the Chief Judge or a Puisne
Judge then
any award, order or determination shall be subject to confirmation by the
High Court
and such Court may confirm or may vary such award, order or determination
or hear
further evidence or rehear the whole application or remit the application
to the Judge for
further evidence or order a rehearing before the same or another Judge
and any award,
order or determination requiring confirmation under this provision shall
take effect from
the date of the final order of the High Court;
“land” includes messuages, tenements and hereditaments corporeal or incorporeal,
and
immovable property of every tenure or description, whatever may be the
estate or
interest therein;
“person interested” means every person claiming, or entitled to claim,
compensation under
this Ordinance;
Provided that a tenant by the month or at will shall be deemed not to be
a person
interested for the purposes of this Ordinance;
“public purpose” means any, or any combination, of the following purposes
?
(a) for exclusive use of the Government or of the
Federal Government or for general public use;
(b) for or in connection with the planning, establishment,
extension, improvement or development
of any town or township any purpose reasonably necessary or desirable in
regard thereto,
including the provision of open spaces and amenities and the setting apart
of suitable sites for
factories industries and trade;
(c) for or in connection with the provision of
residential accommodation for any section or class of
the community including the officers, servants or employees of the Government
or the Federal
Government, and the families and employees thereof;
(d)
for obtaining control over land contiguous to, or required for or in connection
with, any port, airport,
railway, road or other public works of convenience;
(e) for or in connection with any public utility
undertaking or the provision of any public service,
undertaken or provided, or about to be undertaken or provided, by the Government,
the
Federal Government, a local authority or any corporation incorporated directly
by written law;
(f) for or in connection with any scheme
relating to the settlement or re-settlement of any
community, or of any section or class of the public, rural or urban;
(g) for or in connection with the provision of
land for the cultivation of padi, or for agricultural
research or experimental purposes;
(h) for or in connection with the conservation,
improvement or exploitation of natural resources.
ACQUISITION OF LAND AND ABANDONMENT OF ACQUISITION
3. Acquisition of land.
(1) If the Yang di-Pertua Negeri considers that
any land should be acquired for a public purpose
he may cause a declaration to that effect to be made in the manner provided
by this section
and the declaration shall be conclusive evidence that the land to which
it relates is required
for a public purpose.
(2) Every declaration shall be published in two
ordinary issue of the Gazette and copies thereof
shall be posted on one of the buildings (if any) on the land or exhibited
at suitable places in
the locality in which the land is situate, and, where possible, be served
on the owner of the
land and in the declaration shall be specified the following particulars
to the land which is to
be acquired:
(a) the district in which the land is situate;
(b) a description of the land, giving the approximate
area and such other particulars as are
necessary to identify the land;
(c) in cases where a plan has been prepared, the
place where, and the time when, a plan
of the land can be inspected;
(d) the public purpose for which the land is required.
(3) Upon the second publication of the declaration
in the Gazette as aforesaid the land and the
buildings and erections thereon shall, without any conveyance, vest in
the Government free
from all encumbrances and shall be deemed to have been surrendered by the
lawful owner
thereof and the Director of Lands and Surveys shall take or cause to be
taken all such steps
as are necessary by way of registering memoranda against the titles to
the land affected or
otherwise to give effect to such order and every person in possession of
any title or copy of
title affected by this section shall produce such title or copy to the
Director of Lands and
Surveys or, in Labuan, to the Collector of Land Revenue for such purpose.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding
subsection, where any buildings upon land
vested in the Government under the provisions of such subsection are occupied
by any
person as a residence or for the purposes of a trade or business, then
possession shall not
be demanded by or on behalf of the Government, unless the land in the opinion
of the Yang
di-Pertua Negeri is urgently required for the public purpose, until after
the expiration of three
months from the date of the first publication of the declaration made under
the provisions of
subsection (1), but in such case the owner of the land shall account to
the Government for all
rents as from the date of vesting or shall allow credit for reasonable
rent in any claim for
compensation if such owner occupies the building himself.
(5) Nothing in this Ordinance shall be deemed to
prevent the acquisition of lands for public
purposes and the settlement of any compensation therefor by private treaty.
4. Preliminary notification and power to enter land.
If it appears to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri that any land is likely to be
required for any purpose
which, in the opinion of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, is a public purpose
and it is necessary to make
a preliminary survey or other investigation of the land, he may cause a
notification to that effect to
be published in the Gazette and thereupon it shall be lawful for the authorised
officer (and his
agents, assistants and workmen) to do all or any of the following things,
that is to say ?
(a) to enter upon and survey and take levels of
any land in any locality to which the notification
relates;
(b) to dig or bore into the sub-soil of such land;
(c) to do all other acts necessary to ascertain
whether the land is adapted to such purpose;
(d) to set out the boundaries of the land intended
to be taken, and the intended line of work, if
any, proposed to be done thereon;
(e) to mark levels and lines by placing marks and
cutting trenches;
(f) where otherwise the survey cannot be
completed, the levels taken or the boundaries or line of
the work set out, to cut down and clear away any standing crop, fence,
tree or bush;
(g) to do all such other acts as may be incidental
to or necessary for any of the purposes
aforesaid:
Provided that the authorised officer shall not enter into any building,
or into or upon any
enclosed yard, court, or garden attached to a dwelling house, except at
all reasonable hours
and, except with the consent of the occupier thereof, without previously
giving to such
occupier at least seven days’ notice in writing of his intention to do
so:
And provided further that compensation shall be assessed and paid to the
person
interested in the land so entered upon for any actual damage or injury
resulting to them by
reason of the exercise of the powers conferred by this section ?
(i) in so far as it relates to land the acquisition
of which is subsequently deemed to be
abandoned under section 9 or abandoned under section 10, as though it were
compensation
payable under this Ordinance for the acquisition of the land;
(ii) in so far as it relates to land the
compulsory acquisition of which is subsequently completed
under section 3, as though it were part of the compensation for the acquisition
of the land.
5. Power to apply land to purposes of acquisition without waiting for formal vesting.
If, at any time after the publication of a notification in accordance with
the provisions of section 4, it
appears to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri that the land or some parcel of the
land to which it refers
should be acquired but that for any reason it is not possible to make an
immediate declaration to
that effect, it shall be lawful for the Yang di-Pertua Negeri to direct
the authorised officer to do any
work on the land or parcel thereof connected with the use to which the
land is intended to be put on
its acquisition, and thereupon the authorised officer may proceed with
the execution of the work:
Provided that compensation shall be paid to the persons interested for
any actual damage or injury
resulting to them by resulting to them by reason of the exercise of the
power conferred by this
section and shall be determined in the same way as compensation for
actual damage or injury
resulting from the exercise of the powers conferred by section 4.
6. Authorised officer to treat with landowner.
(1) As soon as any declaration has been published
in accordance with the provisions of section
3, the authorised officer shall, without delay, enter into negotiations
(or further negotiations)
for the purchase of the land to which the declaration relates upon reasonable
terms and
conditions, and by voluntary agreement with the owner of the land.
(2) It shall not be necessary for the authorised
officer to await the publication of the declaration
before he endeavours to ascertain from the owner the terms and conditions
on which he is
willing to sell his land, but no negotiations or agreement shall be deemed
to be concluded
unless and until the conditions of sale and acquisition have been approved
by the Yang
di-Pertua Negeri.
7. Boundaries of land and issue of notice of acquisition.
(1) As soon as may be after any land has been acquired
compulsorily, the authorised officer
shall, if the boundaries of the land have not been set out or if they cannot
be identified by
reference to any plan, cause the same to be surveyed and set out, and he
shall also issue a
notice of acquisition in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(2) Every notice of acquisition under this section
shall ?
(a) state the decision of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri
to acquire and take possession of the
land compulsorily;
(b) contain the particulars which, in relation
to the land, were included in the declaration
provided for by subsection (2) of section 3; and
(c) require all persons interested, as soon as
is reasonably practicable, either ?
(i) to appear personally or by attorney or
agent before the authorised officer to state
the nature of their respective interests in the land and the amounts and
full
particulars of their claims to compensation in respect of those interests,
distinguishing the amounts under separate heads and showing how the amount
claimed under each head is calculated; or
(ii) to render to the authorised officer
a statement in writing, signed by them or by
their attorneys or agents, setting forth the like matters.
(3) The authorised officer shall cause a copy of
the notice of acquisition to be served, either
personally on, or by post addressed to the last known place of abode or
business of, every
person interested whose whereabouts are known to the authorised officer:
Provided that where the whereabouts of any such person are not known, the
authorised
officer shall cause copies of such notice to be posted on one of the buildings
(if any) on the
land or exhibited at suitable places in the locality in which the land
is situate.
(4) Any person who, without lawful authority or
excuse, removes or destroys any landmark
placed, or removes or defaces or destroys any notice posted or exhibited,
by the authorised
officer in or upon the land or any building thereon in accordance with
the provisions of this
Ordinance, shall be liable on summary conviction, to a fine of one hundred
ringgit or to
imprisonment for three months.
8. Authorised officer may require information as to interests in land.
(1) The authorised officer may, by notice served
personally, or by post addressed to the last
known place of abode or business of the person concerned, require the owner
or occupier of,
or any person interested in, any land, or in any part thereof, in respect
of which a declaration
or a notification has been published in the Gazette under section 3 or
section 4 respectively,
to deliver to him within a time to be specified in the notice, being not
less than twenty-one
days after service of the notice, a statement in writing containing,
so far as may be within his
own knowledge, the name of every person possessing any interest in the
land, or any part
thereof, whether as partner, mortgagee, lessee, tenant or otherwise, and
the nature of such
interest.
(2) Every person who is required to make and deliver
a statement under this section and who,
without reasonable excuse, refuses to make or deliver such statement,
or willfully makes any
such statement which is false or incomplete in any material particular,
shall be liable on
summary conviction, to a fine of one hundred ringgit or to imprisonment
for three months.
9. Claim of person interested to have land acquired or abandoned.
If, within three months after entry has been made on any land under the
provisions of section 4,
such land shall not be acquired or abandoned, any person interested in
the land or any part thereof
may serve a notice on the authorised officer requiring that the acquisition
of the land or part thereof
be completed or abandoned, and, if within one month thereafter, the acquisition
of such land or part
thereof be not completed or abandoned in accordance with the provisions
of this Ordinance, the
acquisition of the land or part thereof shall be deemed to have been abandoned.
10. Abandonment of acquisition.
(1) At any time before any land has been acquired
compulsorily the Yang di-Pertua Negeri may,
by notification published in the Gazette, declare that the intended
acquisition of such land is
abandoned.
(2) When the acquisition of any land is abandoned
in accordance with the provisions of this
section, or is deemed to have been abandoned under section 9, any compensation
payable
by virtue of this Ordinance shall, in default of agreement, be assessed
as though it was
compensation payable under this Ordinance for the acquisition of land.
(3) No compensation shall be payable in any case
for loss of bargain or for damages for breach of
contract.
TEMPORARY OCCUPATION OF LAND
11. Temporary occupation of unoccupied land.
(1) Whenever it appears to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri
that temporary occupation and use of any
unoccupied land are needed for any public purpose, he may direct the authorised
officer to
procure the occupation and use the same for such term or terms as the Yang
di-Pertua
Negeri shall think fit not exceeding three years from the commencement
of such occupation.
(2) The authorised officer shall thereupon give
notice in writing to any person interested in such
land of the purpose for which the same is needed, and shall for the occupation
and use
therefor for such term aforesaid and for the materials, if any, to be taken
therefrom pay to
them such compensation, either in a gross sum of money or by monthly or
other periodical
payments, as shall be agreed upon in writing between him and such persons
respectively.
(3) In case the authorised officer and the persons
interested differ as to the sufficiency of the
compensation or the apportionment thereof the authorised officer shall
refer such difference to
the decision of a Judge in accordance with the provisions of section 14.
12. Power to enter and take and possession.
(1) The authorised officer may immediately enter
upon and take possession of the land and use
or permit the use thereof in accordance with the terms of the said notice.
(2) On the expiration of the term the authorised
officer shall make or tender to the persons
interested compensation for the damage if any, done to the land and not
provided for by the
agreement and shall restore the land to the persons interested therein.
13. Difference as to condition of land.
If the authorised officer and the persons interested differ as to the condition
of the land at the
expiration of the term or as to the compensation mentioned in subsection
(2) of section 12 or as to
any matter connected with the said agreement the authorised officer shall
refer such difference to
the decision of a Judge.
DETERMINATION OF CLAIMS TO COMPENSATION
14. Determination of questions by Judge.
(1) All questions and claims relating to the payment
of compensation under this Ordinance and
to the apportionment of such compensation shall, save as is hereinafter
provided, be
submitted to a Judge.
(2) The Judge shall have full power to assess,
award and apportion compensation in such cases,
in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance:
Provided that in every case in which the amount of compensation claimed
shall exceed ten
thousand ringgit the Judge in hearing any such claim shall sit with two
assessors who shall be
appointed by the High Court for the purpose of aiding the Judge (neither
of whom shall be a public
officer) who shall advise the Judge of their opinions but in the case of
any difference of opinion, the
opinion of the Judge shall prevail.
15. Documents, etc., to be forwarded to the Judge.
(1) Where proceedings are taken before the Judge
or the Magistrate as provided in section 20 for
the determination of any question relating to the payment of compensation,
the authorised
officer shall forward to the Judge, or to the Magistrate as the case may
be, those of the
following documents and particulars which relate to the acquisition or
the intended acquisition
of the land, as the case may be ?
(a) a copy of any notification and declaration
which has been published in the Gazette;
(b) a copy of the notice of acquisition;
(c) a copy of any notice issued or received by
him;
(d) a copy of all statements received by him in
compliance with any notice issued by him;
(e) the names and addresses of the persons who
the authorised officer has reason to
believe are interested in the land;
(f) the acreage of the land as certified
by the Deputy Director of Lands and Surveys; and
(g) a copy of the report required by this section.
(2) The report to be sent to the Judge shall state
the opinion of the authorised officer, and his
reasons for such opinion, upon each of the following matters ?
(a) what is a fair and proper description of the
land acquired, including particulars of any
building, trees or standing crops thereon;
(b) the value of the land, for the purposes of
compensation under this Ordinance;
(c) the amount of provisional compensation which
should be paid for the land, including any
damage payable in respect of entry into possession;
(d) the apportionment of the provisional compensation
among the persons interested in the
land, in respect of their interests.
(3) The authorised officer, in assessing the amount
of any compensation for the purpose of a
report under this section, shall have regard to the rules prescribed by
this Ordinance which
may and may not be taken into consideration in assessing compensation.
16. Inquiry by Judge.
The Judge shall hold an inquiry at a place, date and time to be fixed by
him, of which not less than
fourteen clear days notice shall be given to the parties concerned, and
every such inquiry shall be
conducted in public.
17. Procedure at inquiry.
The procedure at an inquiry, the summoning and remuneration of witnesses
for attendance thereat,
and all questions incidental to the inquiry shall be governed by the provisions
of the laws for the time
being in force relating to civil proceedings in the High Court:
Provided that in the case of any doubt arising on any question of practice
and procedure the same
may be settled by the Judge.
18. Power of entry for purpose of inquiry.
The Judge, or any person authorised by him, may at any time before, during
or after an inquiry
under this Ordinance, enter upon and inspect any land for any purpose connected
with such inquiry.
19. Award of Judge.
At the conclusion of the inquiry the Judge shall decide upon the claims
for compensation and
apportionments submitted to him and shall make an award under his hand
and shall cause the
same to be filed in the High Court and such award shall thereupon for all
purposes (including
appeals and executions) be deemed to be a final judgment or order of the
High Court.
DETERMINATION OF SMALL CLAIMS FOR COMPENSATION
20. Procedure where claim for compensation does not exceed certain amounts.
(1) Anything in any Ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding,
in any case in which the
compensation claimed does not exceed five hundred ringgit, and in any case
in which the
compensation claimed does not exceed one thousand ringgit and, in the latter
case, the parties
agree in writing to the settlement of the claim by a Magistrate of the
First Class, the amount of
the compensation to be paid in any such case shall be determined by such
Magistrate.
(2) It shall be lawful for the Magistrate upon
the application of either party with respect to any
question of disputed compensation in either of the cases mentioned in the
preceding
subsection, to summon the other party to appear before him at a time and
place to be named
in such summons and to hear and determine such question of disputed compensation.
(3) For the purposes of any proceeding under this
section ?
(a) the procedure to be followed thereat, the summoning
and remuneration of witnesses
and all questions incidental to such proceeding shall be governed by any
law for the
time being in force in Sabah relating to the recovery of claims before
the Magistrate and
all the provisions of any such law shall apply mutatis mutandis to any
such proceeding;
and
(b) the provisions of sections 15, 18, 21, 22,
23, 24 and 28 shall apply with such verbal
alteration (not affecting the substance) as may be necessary to make the
same
applicable.
(4) An appeal shall lie against the determination
by the Magistrate of any question of disputed
compensation under this section in like manner as if such determination
was given in the
exercise of the summary jurisdiction of the Magistrate in a civil matter
under the provisions of
any written law for the time being in force relating to civil appeals from
Magistrates and for the
purposes of such appeal the determination of the Magistrate under this
section shall be
deemed to be a final judgment or order of the Magistrate.
PROVISIONS GOVERNING ASSESSMENT OF COMPENSATION, ETC.
21. Rules for assessment of compensation.
Subject to the provisions of this Ordinance the following rules shall apply
to the assessment and
award of compensation by a Judge for the compulsory acquisition of land
?
(a) the value of the land shall, subject as hereinafter
provided, be taken to be the amount which
the land, in its condition at the time of acquisition, if sold in the open
market by a willing
seller, might have been expected to have realised at a date twelve months
prior to the date of
the second publication in the Gazette of the declaration under section
3:
Provided that this rule shall not affect the assessment of compensation
for the damage
sustained by the person interested by reason of severance, or by reason
of the acquisition
injuriously affecting his other property or his earnings, or for disturbance,
or any other matter
not directly based on the value of the land:
And provided further that the fact that the land is held under Part IV
of the Land Ordinance
or any other written law in the State relating to native land tenure shall
be disregarded in
determining the value of the land;
(b) the special suitability or adaptability of
the land for any purpose shall not be taken into
account if that purpose is a purpose to which the land could be applied
only in pursuance of
statutory powers not already granted, or for which there is no market apart
from the special
needs of a particular purchaser or the requirements of any Government department;
(c) where the value of the land is increased by
reason of the use thereof or of any premises
thereon in a manner which could be restrained by any court, or is contrary
to law, or is
detrimental to the health of the inmates of the premises or to public health,
the amount of that
increase shall not be taken into account;
(d) where land is, and but for the compulsory acquisition
would continue to be, devoted to a
purpose of such a nature that there is no general demand or market for
land for that purpose,
the compensation may, if the Judge is satisfied that reinstatement in some
other place is
bona fide intended, be assessed on the basis of the reasonable cost of
equivalent
reinstatement;
(e) no allowance shall be made on account of ?
(i) the acquisition being compulsory or the
degree of urgency or necessity which has led
to the acquisition;
(ii) any disinclination of the person interested
to part with the land acquired;
(iii) any damage sustained by the person interested
which, if caused by a private person,
would not render such person liable to an action;
(iv) any damage, not being in the nature of deprivation
of or interference with an easement,
servitude or legal right, which, after the time of awarding compensation,
is likely to be
caused by or in consequence of the use to which the land acquired will
be put:
Provided that nothing herein shall prejudice any claim under this Ordinance
for damage
subsequently sustained in consequence of the use to which the land acquired
is put;
(v) any increase to the value of the land
acquired likely to accrue from the use to which the
land acquired will be put;
(vi) any outlay or improvement of such land which
shall have been made, commenced or
effected within twelve months before the publication of the declaration
under section 3,
unless it be proved that the improvement was made bona fide and not in
contemplation
of proceedings for the acquisition of the land being taken by compulsory
acquisition.
22. Special rule as to severance.
(1) As to severance, compensation may be assessed
on the footing that any specified works,
crossings, or access agreed to on behalf of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri shall
be erected,
provided, and allowed, and any such agreement shall be reduced into writing
and be signed
by the Judge and shall be valid and effectual and binding on the parties.
(2) If, in the case of any claim by a person interested
on account of the severing of the land to be
acquired from his other land, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri is of opinion that
the claim is
unreasonable or excessive, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri may at any time before
the Judge has
made his award order the acquisition of the whole or any additional portion
of the land of
which the land first sought to be acquired forms a part.
(3) No fresh declaration of other proceedings under
sections 3 to 7 both inclusive shall be
necessary and such additional land shall vest absolutely in the Government
on the date of the
order of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri; but the authorised officer shall without
delay furnish a
copy of the order of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri to the persons interested
and to the Judge who
shall thereafter proceed to make his award.
23. Interest.
The Judge, in awarding compensation, may add thereto interest at a rate
not exceeding six per
centum per annum, calculated from the date upon which the authorised officer
entered into
possession of the land acquired until the date of the payment of the compensation
awarded by the
Judge.
24. Rules as to costs.
(1) The authorised officer shall pay to the claimant
the reasonable costs incurred by him in or
about the preparation and submission of his claim, unless the Judge considers
that the
claimant has failed to put forward a proper claim within a reasonable time
after the service of
the notice under section 7 or that the claim put forward is grossly excessive
or that he has
been a party to some deceit or fraud in respect of his claim.
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1),
where an unconditional offer in writing of any
amount as compensation has been made to any claimant by or on behalf of
the authorised
officer and the sum awarded as compensation does not exceed the amount
offered, the Judge
shall, unless for special reasons he thinks it proper not to do so, order
the claimant to bear
his own costs and to pay the costs of the authorised officer so far as
the costs of the
authorised officer were incurred after the offer was made; and, where the
claimant has failed
to put forward a proper claim in sufficient time to enable the authorised
officer to make a
proper offer, the foregoing provisions of this section shall apply as if
an unconditional offer had
been made by or on behalf of the authorised officer at the time when, in
the opinion of the
Judge, a proper claim should have been put forward and the claimant had
been awarded a
sum not exceeding the amount of such offer.
(3) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1),
where a claimant has made an unconditional offer
in writing to accept any amount as compensation and has put forward a proper
claim in
sufficient time to enable the authorised officer to make a proper offer,
and the sum awarded is
equal to or exceeds that amount, the Judge shall, unless for special reasons
he thinks it
proper not to do so, order the authorised officer to bear his own costs
and to pay the costs of
the claimant so far as the cost of the claimant were incurred after the
offer was made.
(4) Subject to the preceding provisions of this
section, the costs shall be in the discretion of the
Judge who may direct to and by whom and in what manner those costs or any
part thereof
shall be paid, and he may in any case direct such costs to be taxed by
the Registrar of the
High Court.
(5) The mode of enforcing any order as to costs
shall be in the manner prescribed by the practice
of the High Court.
(6) Where the Judge orders the claimant to pay
the costs or any part of the costs of the
authorised officer, the authorised officer may deduct the amount so payable
by the claimant
from the amount of any compensation which may be payable to him.
MISCELLANEOUS
25. Service of notices, etc..
Any notice, order, or other document required or authorised to be served
under this Ordinance may
be served ?
(a) by delivering it to the person on whom it is
to be served; or
(b) by leaving it at the usual or last known place
of abode of that person; or
(c) by sending it in a prepaid letter addressed
to that person at his usual or last known place of
abode provided that such place of abode is within a postal delivery district;
or
(d) in the case of an incorporated company or body,
by delivering it to the secretary or clerk of
the company or body at their registered or principal office or sending
it in a prepaid letter
addressed to the secretary or clerk of the company or body at that office;
or
(e) if it is not practicable after reasonable inquiry
to ascertain the name or address of any person
on whom it should be served, by addressing it to him by the description
of “owner” or “lessee”
or “occupier” (or as the case may be) of the premises (naming them) to
which it relates, and
by delivering it to some person on the premises or, if there is no person
on the premises to
whom it can be delivered by affixing it, or a copy of it, to some conspicuous
part of the
premises.
26. Absentee owners.
(1) Where there is no person competent to alienate
land or to receive or to give a sufficient
discharge for any compensation awarded, or where any person interested
in land, by reason
of his absence from Sabah and of his not being represented therein by a
duly authorised
attorney, does not submit a statement to or appear before the authorised
officer as required
by section 7, and where such person after diligent inquiry, cannot be found,
the authorised
officer shall pay the compensation into the High Court to the credit of
the person entitled
thereto.
(2) Any compensation paid into the High Court by
virtue of this section may, on the subsequent
application of any person claiming to be entitled thereto, be paid out
to such person on the
order of the said Court.
(3) All moneys paid into the High Court under the
provisions of this section which remain
unclaimed for twelve years after such payment shall be transferred and
paid into the funds of
Sabah and all legal claims thereto shall be for ever barred.
27. Compensation to persons interested in adjacent land.
A person interested in any land which, without any portion thereof being
compulsorily acquired, has
been injuriously affected by the erection or construction on land compulsorily
of any works in
respect of which the land was acquired, shall be entitled to compensation
in respect of such
injurious affection:
Provided that compensation shall not be payable under this section in respect
of any injurious
affection which, if caused by a private person, would not render such person
liable to an action.
28. Special provisions as to leases.
(1) If any land shall be comprised in a lease for
a term of years unexpired and part only of such
land shall be acquired compulsorily, the rent payable in respect of the
land comprised in such
lease may, on the application of the lessor or the lessee to a Judge be
apportioned between
the land acquired and the residue of the land.
(2) After such apportionment the lessee shall,
as to all future accruing rent, be liable to pay only
so much of the rent as shall be so apportioned in respect of the residue
of the land, and as to
the residue of the land, and as against the lessee, the lessor shall have
all the same rights
and remedies for the recovery of such portion of the rent as previously
to such apportionment
he had for the recovery of the whole rent reserved by such lease, and all
the convenience,
conditions, and agreements of such lease, except as to the amount of rent
to be paid shall
remain in force with regard to the residue of the land in the same manner
as they would have
done in case the residue of the land only had been included in the lease.
(3) Where it is shown that the compulsory acquisition
of a portion of land comprised in a lease
has rendered the residue unsuitable for the purpose for which the land
was leased or where in
the circumstances the Judge considers it just so to do he may rescind the
lease altogether;
and in such case the lessee shall only be liable to pay the rent due at
the date of the
occurrence of the circumstances on which the rescission order is based.
(4) Where as the result of such rescission of lease
the lessor or lessee suffers any loss or injury
he shall be entitled to compensation as hereinbefore provided in this Ordinance.
29. Persons in possession to be deemed owners.
Where any question shall arise touching the title of any person to any
land which may be entered
upon or acquired for the purposes of this Ordinance, or touching any estate
or interest therein, the
person having the ostensible possession or enjoyment of the rents and profits
of such land shall, for
the purposes of this Ordinance, be deemed to be the owner of the same until
the contrary is proved.
30. Fees and expenses of assessors.
Any assessor shall receive for his services such fee and such expenses as the Judge may direct.
31. Payment of compensation, etc.
All amounts which have been awarded by way of compensation under this Ordinance,
including
interest and costs to be paid by the authorised officer, and all other
costs, charges and expenses
which shall be incurred under the authority of this Ordinance, shall be
paid out of the funds of
Sabah.
32. Exemption from stamps duty and fees.
Anything in any Ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding, no instrument
or document relating to
anything lawfully done under or for the purposes of this Ordinance, shall
be chargeable with any
stamp duty, registration or recording fee.
33. Limitation of time for making claims.
Notwithstanding anything contained in any other written law, except with
the approval of the Yang
di-Pertua Negeri in any case in which he considers that injustice may otherwise
be done, no claim
for compensation which may be made under the provisions of this Ordinance
shall be admitted or
entertained unless the same shall be made within twelve months after the
date on which entry has
been made on the land under section 4 or, if a declaration has been made
under section 3, within a
similar period after the date of the second publication of such declaration.
34. Assaulting or obstructing officer.
Any person who ?
(a)
assaults or obstructs or aids and abets any person in assaulting or obstructing
the authorised
officer or any of his agents, assistants or workmen in the execution of
his or their duty under this
Ordinance; or
(b)
opposes or impedes the lawful occupation or taking of possession of any
land under the provisions
of this Ordinance; or
(c)
fails to comply with any of the provisions of this Ordinance or the lawful
requirements of any person
authorised or required to do any act thereunder,
shall be liable on summary conviction, to a fine of two hundred ringgit
or to imprisonment for three
months.
35. Rules.
(1) The Yang di-Pertua Negeri may make rules generally
to give effect to the provisions of this
Ordinance.
(2) Such rules may
(a) prescribe any form required to be used for
the purposes of this Ordinance;
(b) fix any fees to be paid for anything required
or allowed to be done under this Ordinance;
(c) provide that the breach or contravention of
any rule is an offence against such rules and
provide a penalty for any such offence not exceeding five hundred ringgit
and
imprisonment for six months.
* Throughout this Ordinance “Yang di-Pertua Negeri” substituted for “Yang
di-Pertua Negara” by
virtue of Enactment No. 17 of 1976.
† Judge other than the Chief Judge or a Puisne judge here refers to a Judge
appointed under Article
122B(1) of the Federal Constitution. It does not refer to a judicial commissioner
appointed under
Article 122 AB of the Federal Constitution.