Avoid falling prey to land scam, check ownership status before buying - Abang Johari

KUCHING: Sarawakians, especially those who migrate to work in the city and big towns in the state, are advised to be careful when buying land and check the ownership status of the land with the Sarawak Land and Survey Department (JTS) before closing the deal.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg issued the advice following cases of land buyers being cheated into buying government land.

He said these victims of land purchase scams were tempted by the offer of cheap prices for the property and their access to various facilities, including road network, but realised too late that the property they purchased was government-owned land.

“It is important to ask who is the owner of the land because the property may belong to the government and the buyers because they are new to the area, do not know the background of the land and they can be easily deceived,“ he added/

He said this at a press conference after visiting the site of the Sungai Bedaun Settlement Housing Project here, today.

He expressed the need for community leaders such as village heads and penghulu to play their role by helping JTS to prevent such a fraudulent land deal. - Bernama