Azalina: Land acquisition must uphold rule of law, respect constitutional safeguards

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said that as Malaysia continued to pursue economic growth and modernise its infrastructure, compulsory land acquisition remained a necessary but sensitive public duty requiring transparency, procedural fairness and adequate compensation. — Picture by Choo Choy May

First Published: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 6:41 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Challenging decisions involving compulsory land acquisition is not an act of disloyalty but an essential part of upholding the rule of law, said Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said that as Malaysia continued to pursue economic growth and modernise its infrastructure, compulsory land acquisition remained a necessary but sensitive public duty requiring transparency, procedural fairness and adequate compensation.

“From the perspective of democracy, challenging the exercise of power is not an act of disloyalty, rather it’s an essential part of the rule of law,” she said at the “Challenging Land Acquisition in Malaysia” book launch here today.

She said the pace of modern development must not outstrip governance standards and constitutional guarantees.

Azalina said the completion of major infrastructure projects, including railways, industrial hubs and highways, should not be the sole measure of success, as the government must also ensure that the institutions entrusted with such powers exercised them responsibly and in accordance with the law.

She said physical progress alone did not define a country’s stature, stressing that while buildings might transform a nation’s skyline, the rule of law defined its character.

Meanwhile, she commended the legal fraternity for publishing academic and practical works that enriched jurisprudence and provided guidance to future legal practitioners. — Bernama