The government will contest a new lawsuit by Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd that seeks to compel Putrajaya to sell the Duta Enclave land in Kuala Lumpur and hand over the proceeds, or alternatively to pay compensation based on the site’s current market value of RM12 billion to RM13 billion.
Senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan informed High Court judge Anand Ponnudurai at case management on Nov 3 that the government intends to defend the action and will file its defence.
The judge directed the government to file its defence by Jan 4, and Semantan Estate to file any reply by Feb 12. Further case management was fixed for Feb 16. The company was represented by lawyer AG Kalidas.
Semantan Estate, now in members’ voluntary liquidation, claims it remains the beneficial owner of the 263.272-acre site even though earlier court rulings have stopped it from recovering possession or getting the registered title back. It argues the government holds the land, or at least its title, on trust for the company and should be ordered to sell it and account for the proceeds.
The company says the government took possession of the land between 1956 and 1958, purportedly to build a diplomatic enclave, but went on to develop it for other purposes, including government offices, commercial and cultural buildings and infrastructure.
It contends that compensation pegged to the land’s 1956 value, provisionally estimated at RM1.58 million, would deprive it of nearly all the property’s economic worth. In June 2025, the Court of Appeal ordered the land to be valued as at Dec 3, 1956, with 6% annual interest, and the Federal Court refused leave to appeal in November that year.
This article is general information, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a lawyer.