Nursery row taking a toll on a growing business
The Star Says
Yes, these nurseries are sitting on a gold mine.
Not surprisingly, the nursery operators are suspicious of this “land grab” by Yayasan Selangor and rejected the state’s move to make the foundation their new landlord.
Yayasan Selangor, after all, specialises in distributing and managing scholarships, not land.
TO most people in the Klang Valley, Sungai Buloh is synonymous with flowers and potted plants because of the many nurseries that dot the road.
Historically, many of these nurseries got their supply from the leper colony at the old Sungai Buloh Hospital.
Over time, as leprosy became a curable disease, the inmates left and many of the nurseries started growing their own plants.
When Pakatan Rakyat took over the Selangor Government after the March 2008 elections, the nursery operators applied for their own Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) for the land they were occupying.
From 1999 to 2008, the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation held the TOLs of the 72 lots, collecting a monthly rental that was progressively increased from RM400 to RM800 per lot.
The operators were unhappy and insecure as they did not have any legal right to the land they had occupied for years.
In previous years, various groups and individuals had fought evictions or the right to continue using state or reserved land under TOLs.
The pomelo growers of Tambun, for example, faced the same problem in the 1990s. Because they were major contributors to the Perak economy, The Star campaigned successfully for them to be given the titles to the land.
Under the National Land Code, a person can only acquire an interest in a piece of land upon the land being alienated to him by the state, either on the basis of a grant in perpetuity or a lease or a sublease derived from it.
An individual may be allowed to occupy state or reserved land under a TOL. However, such a licence is strictly to enable occupation, such as for living or agricultural purposes.
This is for a specified period, which is usually on a year-to-year basis and always on the payment of a fee. However, there is no guarantee that renewals will be granted.
Historically, land is a state matter and under the National Land Code, the Selangor government has the power to issue the TOL for the Sungai Buloh land to Yayasan Selangor. That cannot be disputed.
But the manner in which it was done that is questionable.
It is no secret that the Federal Government is planning to develop the 1,200ha Rubber Research Institute and the land has already been given to the EPF for this purpose.
Many of the nurseries are located just next to the fence of what will be the biggest property development project in the country.
Yes, these nurseries are sitting on a gold mine.
Not surprisingly, the nursery operators are suspicious of this “land grab” by Yayasan Selangor and rejected the state’s move to make the foundation their new landlord.
Yayasan Selangor, after all, specialises in distributing and managing scholarships, not land.
Furthermore, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim did not allay suspicions by offering the explanation that the foundation was well-qualified to manage the land because its general manager was an engineer.
In light of the Federal Government’s development plans for the area, it makes financial sense for the foundation to take control of the land.
The state government should take note of what happened with the Tambum pomelo farmerss.
These people are looking for security in a business that requires long-term investments. Growing plants take time and the operators need to know for sure that their investments will indeed bear fruit.
A simple TOL might just be the fertiliser the nurseries need to bloom.
