He told the Dewan Rakyat the bill to amend the Act is being prepared by the Attorney-General’s Chambers before being finalised by the Cabinet and tabled in Parliament.

“The AGC is currently working to (amend) the law (because) public interest cannot be compromised.

“If we compromise on this matter, all land, especially Malay-owned land in urban areas, will be at risk,” he said, reported Bernama

Anwar was replying to a question by Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Bharu) on the government’s plans to resolve the Duta Enclave land dispute.

Last month, the Kuala Lumpur High Court issued a stay of its order requiring the government to transfer 106ha in Batu, Kuala Lumpur, commonly known as the Duta Enclave, to Semantan Estate Sdn Bhd.

The land, acquired by the federal government in 1956, houses the National Archives, the Kuala Lumpur shariah court and other government complexes.

In September, Justice Ahmad Shahrir Salleh ordered the government to transfer the land to Semantan Estate after allowing the company’s originating summons against the Kuala Lumpur land registrar.

Semantan Estate initiated a lawsuit against the Kuala Lumpur land registrar in February 2017 to enforce a 2009 High Court judgment that Semantan Estate had retained its beneficial interest in the land, which had been unlawfully possessed by the government and subjected to trespass.

In 2003, Semantan Estate filed a lawsuit against the government, alleging encroachment following an unauthorised land seizure. The government subsequently filed an appeal, which was struck out on May 18, 2012.

On Nov 21, 2012, the Federal Court denied the government’s application for leave to appeal the decision, and the Federal Court once again dismissed the government’s application to review its previous decision in 2018.