SECRET
MALAYA
LONG-TERM POLICY DIRECTIVES
LANDS, MINES AND SURVEYS
12
I. Land Policy
(1)
There should be two separate land Departments, (a) for
the Malayan Union and (b) for Singapore, respectively, each under
a Commissioner of Lands, who should be a senior officer of the
administrative service.
(2)` The property in, and control of, Crown and State lands,
water, and minerals in the Union should be vested in the Central
authority.
(3)
Land, water and minerals in Singapore should remain
vested in the Crown,
(4)
All disputed dealings in land since December 8, 1941,
should be subject to investigation and decision, which should be
undertaken as soon as possible.
(5)
(6)
(土) The policy throughout the Union should be the
establishment of a land system modelled on the
Federated malay States system of registration of title
and the law relating thereto. This will involve the
introduction of the registration of title in the
Settlements of Penang and Malacca as soon as possible.
(11) Due regard should be had to the existence of special provisions applicable to local customs and
conditions.
Registration of Title should be introduced as soon as
possible in Singapore.
(7)
Future alienation of town lande should not be by grants in perpetuity but by leases for a term not exceeding 99 years, subject to the provisions for revision of rents laid down in Section 31 of the F.H.8. Land Code. Subject to the provision of paragraph (5) (ii) of this directive country lands and mining lands