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FORMER Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad has confirmed that he will proceed with legal action against Kampung Sungai Baru activist Rafidah Ibrahim, whom he accuses of spreading misleading claims regarding the land status of the area.
His lawyer, Zulhazmi Shariff, said that despite several attempts to serve the writ directly, Rafidah had refused to accept the documents.
“We have resorted to substituted service, including newspaper publication, court notices and delivery to her residence. The court has fixed 29 September for case management, but she has yet to file her appearance,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“She was supposed to appear on 12 September but failed to do so. As a result, we will be filing a certificate of non-appearance and will apply for a judgment in default, in addition to fixing a date for damages assessment.”
Zulhazmi urged Rafidah to come forward and present her defence in court.
Khalid, meanwhile, reiterated that Kampung Sungai Baru was not part of Malay Reserve Land, but rather a leasehold area established in the 1960s following river straightening works.
“The Kampung Sungai Baru land titles are leasehold for 99 years. The Malay Agricultural Settlement (MAS) Enactment was introduced in the early 1900s, so it is impossible that the area falls under MAS,” he explained.
“The claim that it is ‘tanah emas’ (golden land) is misleading and has never been backed by any credible evidence.”
He also rejected attempts by PAS leaders to politicise the issue, accusing the party of hypocrisy for failing to resolve land disputes in its own state.
“PAS has no standing to interfere in Kampung Sungai Baru’s land matters,” Khalid said. “They’ve yet to resolve the long-standing issue of 53 families in Jalan Atas Paloh, Kota Bharu, who have lived there for over 80 years.”
According to Khalid, the late Tok Guru Nik Aziz had promised those families compensation and new housing under a Kelantan State Economic Development Corporation (PKINK) project, but that promise was never fulfilled.
“After his passing, those 53 families were only given RM1,000 per household—RM500 before relocating, and RM500 after. Not RM1,000 per square foot, as some might expect,” he said, noting that the pledge was made in the presence of Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, who was then a state executive councillor.
“Fix your own issues before trying to be the hero in Kampung Sungai Baru. You're in no position to intervene,” he added.
PAS had earlier criticised the government over the use of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 in the eviction of Kampung Sungai Baru residents, urging for a review of the act and claiming the matter involved Malay interests that deserved fairer consideration. - September 17, 2025
