Resolving the land status of Tamil schools in Perak

MEDIA reports in June 2026 announced that a century-old Tamil school obtained its land title, marking a significant and positive development. After 109 years of operating without ownership of its site, SJK(T) Klebang finally secured its land title.

This achievement provides long-term security and allows better planning for future development and educational facilities.

However, other Tamil schools in Perak – there are 134 in the state – continue to operate on estate or privately owned land without secure land titles. This remains a long-standing policy concern that requires coordinated and sustained intervention.

A negotiated settlement beyond legal disputes

One of the clearest examples is Klebang Estate, Chemor, Perak. For many years, SJK(T) Klebang operated within the estate where generations of plantation workers lived and worked. When the estate was earmarked for redevelopment and workers faced retrenchment and relocation, the affected estate community united to secure a fair future for their families and preserve key community institutions.

The estate workers collectively fought for free residential housing lots and a dedicated land lot for a temple as part of ensuring continuity of their community life. At the same time, the school committee and teachers of SJK(T) Klebang worked to secure a suitable replacement site so that the school could continue operating after redevelopment.

Although the matter involved legal and administrative processes, including disputes brought before the courts, the parties eventually reached a mutual settlement through negotiation, resulting in housing provisions for workers, land for religious purposes, and a dedicated site for the school.

The outcome reflects a practical resolution where development interests and community needs were balanced through negotiation, reflecting the efforts of the workers and community in asserting and defending their rights throughout the process.

The Klebang Estate experience demonstrates that even where legal disputes exist, negotiated settlement can still produce outcomes that protect housing, religious needs, and educational continuity while allowing redevelopment to proceed.

Planning control and estate land governance 

The state government already possesses significant administrative and legal tools to ensure that estate land redevelopment is properly regulated and aligned with public interest.

Under Section 214A of the National Land Code 1965, no estate land may be transferred, subdivided, or disposed of without prior approval from the Estate Land Board. This mechanism ensures that estate land transactions are subject to state regulatory control, and that approvals may be granted with conditions or refused where necessary in the public interest.

This legal framework confirms that estate redevelopment is not purely a private arrangement but a regulated process subject to state oversight, allowing the government to ensure that redevelopment aligns with broader planning and social objectives.

In addition, state planning approval processes provide further leverage to ensure that redevelopment projects are assessed holistically, including the need to safeguard existing public infrastructure such as schools.

Consider existing legal powers where necessary

While negotiation should remain the preferred approach, the state government also possesses statutory powers that may be considered if negotiations fail.

Under Section 3(1)(a) of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, the State Authority may acquire private land for a public purpose, subject to compensation requirements under Article 13(2) of the Federal Constitution.

The provision of public education clearly constitutes a public purpose. These statutory provisions therefore remain an important policy option in circumstances where an amicable resolution cannot be achieved.

Planning approvals as a strategic policy instrument

The most effective long-term solution lies in integrating school land protection into the planning approval process.

Across Perak, estate lands are being progressively converted into residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. These developments cannot proceed without state approval.

Accordingly, the state government has the opportunity to ensure that development approvals incorporate conditions that take into account existing public needs, including schools, where appropriate and lawful. This ensures that educational infrastructure is not treated as an afterthought in redevelopment planning.

Establish a special task force

To ensure a coordinated approach, the Perak state government should establish a special task force on Tamil schools’ land titles.

This task force should include representatives from relevant state agencies, local authorities, school boards of governors, estate owners, developers, and community stakeholders.

Its mandate should include auditing all 134 Tamil schools in the state, facilitating negotiations, coordinating legal and planning processes, and ensuring structured implementation with clear timelines.

From individual success to statewide reform

Another successful issuance of a land title, to SJK(T) Ladang Changkat Kinding in Tambun, demonstrates that long-standing land issues can be resolved.

The Klebang Estate experience further proves that negotiated settlements can balance development with the protection of community, religious, and educational interests.

The challenge now is to transform these isolated successes into a consistent statewide framework.

The state government already has the necessary legal mechanisms, including Section 214A of the National Land Code 1965, planning approval powers, and the Land Acquisition Act 1960. What is required now is the political will to implement a structured and fair policy approach for all Tamil schools in Perak.

Only then can the success achieved in isolated cases become a standard outcome across the state.

K. KUNASEKARAN

Ipoh

The writer was involved in organising and coordinating community efforts relating to the Klebang Estate settlement from its early stages through to its resolution.