A Blockchain-enabled Integration Framework for Estate Distribution in Malaysia

Efficient administration of small estates in Malaysia is characterized by the complications of the hybrid processes between manual and digital administration, and fragmentation of jurisdiction. This paper examines the operational bottlenecks in the existing system of estate distribution coordinated by the Department of Director General of Lands and Mines (JKPTG) as being the challenges of manual verification, absence of integration of the agencies across states, and security of documents as the major impediments to effective governance. In order to overcome these issues, the paper will offer the Integrated Estate Governance Framework (IEGF) an architectural improvisation based on the Small Estates (Distribution) Act 1955. The framework emerged as a result of adopting a Design Science Research (DSR) approach to the development of the study through the qualitative knowledge of senior officers in the JKPTG in a variety of states. The IEGF integrates a Consortium Blockchain with an AI Engine (to support decisions), Smart Contracts (to automate workflows) and Decentralized Identifiers (DID) with ECDSA (to perform secure authentication). The architecture is designed to be privacy and storage efficient by using Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP) and InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). Findings show that the IEGF allows the jurisdiction-independent application process and automatic title endorsement through the e-Tanah integration. The paper has come up with the conclusion that a combination of these technologies offers a scalable, transparent, and robust solution to modernize the national land administration.