Land Acquisition
119 cases · May 2021 to June 2026
Overview
Land Acquisition appears in 119 reported Malaysia judgments (2021–2026).
In this practice area
Land Acquisition collects the disputes arising from the compulsory acquisition of land by the State under the Land Acquisition Act 1960, distinct from the broader body of registered-title litigation gathered under Land Law. The judgments concern the assessment of compensation, the land-reference procedure, and the rights of the landowner against the acquiring authority.
Compensation is the central subject. Judgments examine the determination of the amount payable for land taken — penentuan jumlah pampasan (the determination of the sum of compensation) — under sections 12, 36, 37 and 49 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, the assessment of market value by reference to comparable sales under the First Schedule, and the distinction between land used for commercial and for residential purposes. The land-reference procedure, by which a dissatisfied party refers the adequacy of the award to the High Court, recurs throughout, together with the role of assessors in that process.
The collection captures acquisitions for public infrastructure, including highway projects where the acquiring authority is a statutory body such as Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (the Malaysian Highway Authority). Judgments consider issue estoppel and res judicata between successive references, inordinate delay in the acquisition process and its effect on compensation, and the application of the Government Proceedings Act 1956 (Akta Prosiding Kerajaan 1956) to claims involving land references and statutory bodies.
The cases sit predominantly in the High Court hearing land references, with appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court on the principles of valuation and procedure. As a whole the area shows how the Malaysian courts ensure that a landowner deprived of property by compulsory acquisition receives the compensation the statute prescribes — testing the adequacy of the award against the valuation rules while holding the parties to the reference procedure the Act lays down. The concentration of infrastructure and highway acquisitions in the collection reflects the pace of public works and the disputes over value that follow when private land is taken for them.
Case Volume by Year
1 21
2 22
3 23
20 24
74 25
19 26
2021–2026
Key Issues & Sub-Topics
Late payment charges — Sections 32 and 48 Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Early entry by concessionaire — Physical possession prior to gazettement — Mandatory late payment charges under s. 32 — Applicable interest rate — Amendment to Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Compensation for early entry — Rental award — Whether rental award sustainable in law — Injurious affection — Compensation for remaining land — Whether compensation awarded by High Court constitutes “excess” — Applicability of s. 48 — Computation of late payment charges — Date of formal possession. 2 Compulsory acquisition — Challenge to acquisition — Whether acquisition for "public purpose" under Section 3(a) Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Section 3(c) permits acquisition for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes — Gazette declaration under Section 8 conclusive — Sections 68 and 68A bar challenge to award 1 Compensation — Injurious affection — Whether compensable diminution to dwelling established — Whether reduced setback and visible cracking constituted compensable impairment under para 2(d) of First Schedule — Whether claim for balance land diminution proved — Land Acquisition Act 1960, First Schedule paras 1, 2(d) 1 Compensation — Market value — Comparable sales method — Adjustment for Malacca customary land restriction — Whether +20% adjustment constituted proper equivalence adjustment under para 1(2A) of First Schedule — Whether RM390 per square metre justified 1 Compensation — Ancillary structures — Whether award for store and terrace structures inadequate — Whether larger dimensions and higher valuation sufficiently proved 1 Compensation — Burden of proof — Whether appellant established inadequacy of Land Administrator’s award — Scope of court’s role in land reference proceedings 1 Assessors — Role of assessors — Whether assessor reports binding on court — Judicial duty to independently determine compensation — Land Acquisition Act 1960 ss 40A–40D 1 Compensation — Injurious affection — Observable physical impact — Reduced residential amenity — Market perception — Whether engineering evidence necessary before limited award could be made 1 Compensation — Consequential claims — Temporary rental — Moving costs — Reinstatement costs — Whether compensable under para 2(e) of First Schedule where dwelling not acquired 1 Compensation — Costs — Whether claimant disentitled to costs where amount claimed exceeded court award by more than twenty per cent — Land Acquisition Act 1960 s 51(1)(c) 1 Compulsory acquisition — Compensation fund deposited into Court — Determination of competing claims — Meaning of “person interested” — Land Acquisition Act 1960, s 2. Trusts and Equity — Bare trustee — Master title holder — Right of beneficial owners to compensation — Missing historical roots of title — Minor discrepancies in sub-lot measurements — Constructive trust — Unconscionability. Civil Procedure — Standing of deceased plaintiffs — Lack of extracted Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration — Power of court to stay specific disbursements 1 Adequacy of compensation — Loss of business income — Claim for projected future profits arising from compulsory acquisition of petrol station land — Whether projected profits over remaining contractual tenure speculative and remote — Requirement to prove “true loss” with cogent evidence — Principle of equivalence — Whether Land Administrator’s award reasonable — Additional compensation for disposal losses involving fuel stock — Federal Constitution art 13(2); Land Acquisition Act 1960 ss 38(1), 48. EVIDENCE — Expert evidence — Valuation report — Projection of future business profits by land valuer unsupported by audited accounts, market analysis or expert economic evidence — Weight to be attached to speculative projections. 1 Appeal against the compensation awarded by the High Court — Whether the learned High Court Judge had erred in failing to provide the Parties with the written opinions of assessors — Whether Federal Court case of Tegas Sejati Sdn Bhd v Pentadbir Tanah dan Daerah Hulu Langat & Anor followed — Land Acquisition Act 1960, section 40C 1 Compensation — Entitlement — Registered proprietor — Plaintiff was registered proprietor at time of acquisition notice and enquiry — Plaintiff had previously applied for surrender of land — Whether plaintiff remained “person interested” under Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Whether plaintiff entitled to compensation — Land Acquisition Act 1960, s 2 1 building on the scheduled land was demolished in 2012 due to a landslide — the schedule land was already vacant and barren circa 2012 due to demolition and prior to acquisition — the acquisition was gazetted in 2014 — the Land Administrator acquired the scheduled land under section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 [Act 486] for the purpose of repairing and rehabilitating the condition of the hill slope — Projek Memperbaiki Runtuhan Cerun di Jalan Puncak Setiawangsa 2, Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur — Applicant claims compensation for the loss of the subject building (due to landslide) — loss of the building — no injurious affection — Land reference proceeding 1 Compensation — Beneficial owners — Intervention — Bare trustee — Indefeasibility of title — Fraud — Illegality — Setting aside order — Functus officio — Locus standi — Order 15 Rule 6(2) ROC — Section 340 NLC — Section 16 LAA — Article 13 Federal Constitution 1 compensation not paid. Certificate pursuant to section 33 of the Government Proceedings Act 1956 obtained. 1
Late payment charges — Sections 32 and 48 Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Early entry by concessionaire — Physical possession prior to gazettement — Mandatory late payment charges under s. 32 — Applicable interest rate — Amendment to Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Compensation for early entry — Rental award — Whether rental award sustainable in law — Injurious affection — Compensation for remaining land — Whether compensation awarded by High Court constitutes “excess” — Applicability of s. 48 — Computation of late payment charges — Date of formal possession. 2 cases
Compulsory acquisition — Challenge to acquisition — Whether acquisition for "public purpose" under Section 3(a) Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Section 3(c) permits acquisition for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes — Gazette declaration under Section 8 conclusive — Sections 68 and 68A bar challenge to award 1 case
Compensation — Injurious affection — Whether compensable diminution to dwelling established — Whether reduced setback and visible cracking constituted compensable impairment under para 2(d) of First Schedule — Whether claim for balance land diminution proved — Land Acquisition Act 1960, First Schedule paras 1, 2(d) 1 case
Compensation — Market value — Comparable sales method — Adjustment for Malacca customary land restriction — Whether +20% adjustment constituted proper equivalence adjustment under para 1(2A) of First Schedule — Whether RM390 per square metre justified 1 case
Compensation — Ancillary structures — Whether award for store and terrace structures inadequate — Whether larger dimensions and higher valuation sufficiently proved 1 case
Compensation — Burden of proof — Whether appellant established inadequacy of Land Administrator’s award — Scope of court’s role in land reference proceedings 1 case
Assessors — Role of assessors — Whether assessor reports binding on court — Judicial duty to independently determine compensation — Land Acquisition Act 1960 ss 40A–40D 1 case
Compensation — Injurious affection — Observable physical impact — Reduced residential amenity — Market perception — Whether engineering evidence necessary before limited award could be made 1 case
Compensation — Consequential claims — Temporary rental — Moving costs — Reinstatement costs — Whether compensable under para 2(e) of First Schedule where dwelling not acquired 1 case
Compensation — Costs — Whether claimant disentitled to costs where amount claimed exceeded court award by more than twenty per cent — Land Acquisition Act 1960 s 51(1)(c) 1 case
Compulsory acquisition — Compensation fund deposited into Court — Determination of competing claims — Meaning of “person interested” — Land Acquisition Act 1960, s 2. Trusts and Equity — Bare trustee — Master title holder — Right of beneficial owners to compensation — Missing historical roots of title — Minor discrepancies in sub-lot measurements — Constructive trust — Unconscionability. Civil Procedure — Standing of deceased plaintiffs — Lack of extracted Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration — Power of court to stay specific disbursements 1 case
Adequacy of compensation — Loss of business income — Claim for projected future profits arising from compulsory acquisition of petrol station land — Whether projected profits over remaining contractual tenure speculative and remote — Requirement to prove “true loss” with cogent evidence — Principle of equivalence — Whether Land Administrator’s award reasonable — Additional compensation for disposal losses involving fuel stock — Federal Constitution art 13(2); Land Acquisition Act 1960 ss 38(1), 48. EVIDENCE — Expert evidence — Valuation report — Projection of future business profits by land valuer unsupported by audited accounts, market analysis or expert economic evidence — Weight to be attached to speculative projections. 1 case
Appeal against the compensation awarded by the High Court — Whether the learned High Court Judge had erred in failing to provide the Parties with the written opinions of assessors — Whether Federal Court case of Tegas Sejati Sdn Bhd v Pentadbir Tanah dan Daerah Hulu Langat & Anor followed — Land Acquisition Act 1960, section 40C 1 case
Compensation — Entitlement — Registered proprietor — Plaintiff was registered proprietor at time of acquisition notice and enquiry — Plaintiff had previously applied for surrender of land — Whether plaintiff remained “person interested” under Land Acquisition Act 1960 — Whether plaintiff entitled to compensation — Land Acquisition Act 1960, s 2 1 case
building on the scheduled land was demolished in 2012 due to a landslide — the schedule land was already vacant and barren circa 2012 due to demolition and prior to acquisition — the acquisition was gazetted in 2014 — the Land Administrator acquired the scheduled land under section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 [Act 486] for the purpose of repairing and rehabilitating the condition of the hill slope — Projek Memperbaiki Runtuhan Cerun di Jalan Puncak Setiawangsa 2, Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur — Applicant claims compensation for the loss of the subject building (due to landslide) — loss of the building — no injurious affection — Land reference proceeding 1 case
Compensation — Beneficial owners — Intervention — Bare trustee — Indefeasibility of title — Fraud — Illegality — Setting aside order — Functus officio — Locus standi — Order 15 Rule 6(2) ROC — Section 340 NLC — Section 16 LAA — Article 13 Federal Constitution 1 case
compensation not paid. Certificate pursuant to section 33 of the Government Proceedings Act 1956 obtained. 1 case
Key Statutes
Land Acquisition Act 1960
cited in 47 cases Federal Constitution
cited in 30 cases National Land Code (Cap 828)
cited in 20 cases Rules of Court 2012
cited in 14 cases Evidence Act 1950 (Cap 56)
cited in 12 cases National Land Code 1965 (Cap 828)
cited in 7 cases Courts of Judicature Act 1964 (Cap 91)
cited in 4 cases Land Acquisition Act
cited in 4 cases Specific Relief Act 1950 (Cap 137)
cited in 4 cases Government Proceedings Act 1956
cited in 4 cases Land Acquisition Enactment
cited in 3 cases Public Authority Protection Act 1948
cited in 2 cases Government Proceedings Ordinance
cited in 2 cases Crown Proceedings Act
cited in 2 cases Industrial Relations Act 1967 (Cap 177)
cited in 2 cases Court Distribution
Key People & Firms
Top Judges
Shahnaz binti Sulaiman 21 Narkunavathy Sundareson 12 Alice Loke Yee Ching 9 Azimah binti Omar 7 Hasbullah bin Adam 7 Indra Nehru Savandiah 6 Roslan bin Mat Nor 6 Mary Lim Thiam Suan 5 Hasnah binti Dato' Mohammed Hashim 4 Alwi bin Abdul Wahab 4 Lee Swee Seng 4 Wan Ahmad Farid bin Wan Salleh 4 Nallini Pathmanathan 4 Ahmad Fairuz bin Zainol Abidin 3 Ismail bin Brahim 3
Top Firms
Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri Selangor 14 Kumar Jaspal Quah & Aishah 13 Kamar Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri Selangor 9 Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri Pahang 6 Mah Weng Kwai & Associates 5 Chambers of Selangor State Legal Advisor 5 Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri Selangor 4 Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri Terengganu 4 Sern & Lee 3 Chua & Partners 3 Jabatan Peguam Negara 3 Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang 3 Wong Kian Kheong 2 Tommy Thomas 2 R. Kengadharan & Co. 2
Top Lawyers
Etty Eliany binti Tesno 15 Brenda Chan Qing Wen 8 Chan Zi Yan 8 Steven How 8 S. Shahman 8 Etty Eliany Tesno 5 Nur Syafinaz Hayati Binti Kamarrudin 4 Hasyutantee Binti Khalil 4 Mohd Abdul Hakim Bin Mohd Ali 3 Siti Radziah Binti Kamarudin 3 Nadeem Rafiq 3 Shahman a/l Segaran 3 Choo Wei Sern 3 Chua Por Ron 3 Mohd Hisyam Hilmi bin Abd Rahman 3
How many Land Acquisition cases are reported in Malaysia courts?
119 reported Malaysia judgments (2021–2026) involve Land Acquisition.
How is Land Acquisition different from Land Law?
Land Acquisition concerns the compulsory taking of land by the State under the Land Acquisition Act 1960 and the compensation payable, while Land Law covers the wider body of registered-title, indefeasibility and dealing disputes under the National Land Code.
How is compensation assessed?
The judgments determine the sum payable — penentuan jumlah pampasan (the determination of the sum of compensation) — under sections 12, 36, 37 and 49 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, assessing market value by comparable sales under the First Schedule and distinguishing commercial from residential land use.
What is the land-reference procedure?
It is the process by which a landowner dissatisfied with the award refers the question of compensation to the High Court, which sits with assessors. The collection also considers issue estoppel between successive references and the effect of inordinate delay in the acquisition process on the compensation payable.
Cases
Page 4 of 5ba-15-59-01-2024
ALIYA NABILA BINTI AYUB v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Kuala Selangor
19 March 2025
MYHC
ka-15-13-04-2024
ANTARA AWAN (M) SDN BHD v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Kubang Pasu
16 March 2025
MYHC
ba-15-45-01-2024
HALA KOTA DEVELOPMENT SDN BHD v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Klang
12 March 2025
MYHC
01f-3-02-2024b
SISTEM LINGKARAN LEBUHRAYA KAJANG SDN BHD v 1. ) ORCHARD CIRLCE SDN BHD 2. ) Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Hulu Langat
11 March 2025
MYFC
ca-15-4-07-2024
RAHANI BINTI HUSSIN v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Kuantan
10 March 2025
MYHC
wa-15-18-08-2022
ROZEL CORPORATION SDN. BHD v Pentadbir Tanah Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
6 March 2025
MYHC
ba-15-175-10-2017
Chen Lim Hoi @ Lim Quay Hwa v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Kuala Langat PENCELAH West Coast Expressway Sdn Bhd
27 February 2025
MYHC
ba-15-229-07-2018
GOH BENG HOCK v Pentadbir Tanah dan Daerah PENCELAH West Coast Expressway Sdn Bhd
27 February 2025
MYHC
wa-24ncvc-2539-07-2024
KL CITY GATEWAY SDN. BHD. (Dikenali sebelum ini sebagaRITZY GLOSS SDN BHD v 1. ) Md Shafie Bin Dikir 2. ) Rohani Binti Dikir 3. ) Ghazali Bin Dikir 4. ) Sharil Bin Dikir 5. ) Muhamad Iskandar Bin Dikir 6. ) Norjani Binti Dikir 7. ) Norzaidah Binti Dikir 8. ) Nor Zaidah Binti Dikir 9. ) Rosmahni Binti Dikir 10. ) Robiah Binti Dikir 11. ) Aslina Binti Dikir 12. ) Nurul Nadirah Binti Malik 13. ) Nur Farihin Binti Norazam 14. ) Hasnaerdawaty Binti Md Hanapi 15. ) Hasnafidah Binti Md Hanapi 16. ) ...
27 February 2025
MYHC
wa-15-32-05-2023
NORIZAN BINTI JAMALUDIN v Pentadbir Tanah Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
25 February 2025
MYHC
wa-15-36-05-2023
RUSMAINI BINTI ABDUL TALIB v Pentadbir Tanah Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
25 February 2025
MYHC
ba-15-153-12-2023
WEST COAST EXPRESSWAY SDN BHD v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Klang PENCELAH 1. ) (Tidak Dibenarkan) Ng Tian Yew 2. ) (tidak dibenarkan) PEMBINAAN TUMPUAN CERGAS SDN BHD 3. ) NG TANN NA 4. ) PEMBINAAN TUMPUAN CERGAS SDN. BHD. 5. ) T. CHELVEE TRADING 6. ) TAN YOAK YAN 7. ) LIM BEE LIAN 8. ) LIM THIAN CHAI 9. ) LEE AH SENG 10. ) (Tidak Dibenarkan) Tan Chai Sin 11. ) TAN KOK SIN 12. ) LEE KEE CHONG 13. ) LAW BOON MENG 14. ) DEEPA NISHA A/P SUBRAMANIAM 15. ) NINETTE ANNE A/P SUBRAMANIAM 16. ) GOH SIEW C...
12 February 2025
MYHC
ta-23ncvc-5-11-2022
K3-SYNERGY HOLDINGS (M) SDN BHD v 1. ) CHINA COMMUNICATIONS CONSTRUCTIONS (ECRL) SDN BHD 2. ) MALAYSIA RAIL LINK
11 February 2025
MYHC
wa-15-10-03-2022
Roziah Binti Yusof (Waris Kepada Yusof Bin Hassan, Si Mati No. K/p: 2141621, Pemilik Petak (Benefisial)) v Pentadbir Tanah Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
27 January 2025
MYHC
wa-15-9-03-2022
MOHAMAD SHAHMIR BIN AH SHA'ARI v Pentadbir Tanah Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
27 January 2025
MYHC
ba-25-58-09-2023
PRISTINE POWER SDN. BHD. v Pegawai Kewangan Negeri Selangor
26 January 2025
MYHC
b-01im-67-02-2023
Tenaga Nasional Berhad v 1. ) SIME DARBY PLANTATION BERHAD 2. ) Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Klang
21 January 2025
MYCOA
ba-15-170-09-2019
Lee Wan Kwee & 4 Lagi v Pentadbir Tanah dan Daerah PENCELAH WEST COST EXPRESSWAY SDN BHD
20 January 2025
MYHC
pa-22ncvc-177-10-2023
Cheah It Tee v 1. ) PENGARAH TANAH DAN GALIAN PULAU PINANG 2. ) PENTADBIR TANAH SEBERANG PERAI SELATAN, PULAU PINANG
22 December 2024
MYHC
ba-22ncvc-513-11-2019
JMB Kelana Square v 1. ) Perantara Properties Sdn Bhd 2. ) Prasarana Malaysia Sdn Bhd 3. ) PENGARAH TANAH DAN GALIAN SELANGOR
11 December 2024
MYHC
ba-15-10-05-2023
Tanjung Balai Enterprise Sdn. Bhd. v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Kuala Langat
9 December 2024
MYHC
ba-15-11-05-2023
Alpha Variamas Sdn. Bhd. v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Kuala Langat
9 December 2024
MYHC
ba-15-12-05-2023
ION HEALTH MANUFACTURING (M) SDN BHD v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Kuala Langat
9 December 2024
MYHC
p-01w-91-02-2023
WENG LEE GRANITE QUARRY SDN BHD v Pentadbir Tanah Daerah Seberang Perai Tengah
9 December 2024
MYCOA
pa-15-89-12-2018
SURIA WARAS DEVELOPMENT SDN BHD v Pejabat Daerah dan Tanah
28 November 2024
MYHC