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THE Kuala Lumpur High Court has fixed 20 January next year for case management on the assessment of damages payable by the government to Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd, marking the latest development in a dispute that has stretched over two decades.
Justice Roslan Mat Nor set the date during Monday’s proceedings, attended by Federal Counsel Nur Zul Izzati Zulkipli for the government and lawyer Janet Chai Pei Wing representing Semantan Estate.
The session aims to update the court on the filing of expert valuation reports relating to the compensation due.
The matter returned to the High Court after the Federal Court, on 13 November, dismissed Semantan Estate’s bid for leave to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling which held that the Federal Territories Land Registrar was under no obligation to register 263.272 acres of land in the Duta Enclave under the company’s name.
With leave denied, the Court of Appeal’s decision in favour of the government remains final.
In its 24 June decision, the Court of Appeal found that Semantan Estate had no legal entitlement to ownership of the land but was nevertheless eligible for “adequate compensation”, to be assessed based on the land’s value in 1956, when it was taken over by the government.
The disputed land, located in the prime Jalan Duta enclave, houses key national institutions including the National Hockey Stadium, the Malaysian Institute of Integrity, the National Archives, the Kuala Lumpur Syariah Court, the Inland Revenue Board and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Academy.
The conflict dates back to 2003 when Semantan Estate sued the government, alleging unlawful acquisition of the land. In 2009, Judicial Commissioner Zura Yahya ruled in favour of the company, holding that the land had indeed been taken unlawfully and that Semantan Estate retained a beneficial interest.
The government appealed to both the Court of Appeal and the Federal Court but failed. Subsequently, in February 2017, Semantan Estate filed a suit compelling the Federal Territories Land Registrar to enforce the 2009 High Court judgment.
In August last year, the High Court ordered the Registrar to transfer ownership within three months, but the ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal.
The three-judge appellate panel led by Datuk Lee Swee Seng, now a Federal Court judge, also deducted RM1.325 million from the quantum of compensation determined earlier — a sum already paid by the government in 1956.
The company was additionally found entitled to interim profits from the land, with the exact amount to be assessed by the High Court. Both sides were instructed to appoint their respective valuation experts within 90 days.
On 28 August, the Federal Court granted Semantan Estate a temporary stay of the Court of Appeal’s orders pending its application for leave to appeal — an application that has now been dismissed, shifting the dispute firmly back to the compensation phase.
The January management date is expected to determine the timeline for expert reports before the court undertakes the long-awaited assessment of damages. - November 17, 2025