Resolving Lot Lidi Issues Through Surrender and Re-Alienation Mechanism Under the National Land Code 1965: A Qualitative Exploration

Lot lidi is a significant concern in land development, primarily due to issues in land planning and utilization in Malaysia. Thus, this paper aims to explore the potential application of the surrender and re-alienation mechanism under the National Land Code 1965 (NLC 1965), which could potentially address these issues. Based on qualitative methodology, perspectives from industry practitioners and policymakers involved in land administration are gathered. Face-to-face and online interviews were conducted in this study with a sample of five professional key players in land administration. This result revealed that the surrender and re-alienation procedures could potentially be a structured legal direction to overcome the lot lidi issues in regularizing problematic land parcels, promoting accessibility, and achieving sustainable land use planning. Four predominant themes are identified that could be regarded as potential strategies for addressing the issue of lot lidi. This is not just a means to right a wrong or to imbue more confidence in the government's administration of land law; this is a vital strategy for maintaining long-term land use planning at the local level. The existing literature supports this approach, revealing that ignoring lot lidi conflicts could result in worse consequences, leading to further land conflicts and social instability. Therefore, by implementing these mechanisms in line with legal frameworks, this study aims to streamline Malaysia’s land administration system and support both economic and social development for sustainable communities.