GEORGE TOWN: Beginning next year, the state government will set a time frame to expedite the approval of all matters pertaining to land in the state.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said this followed complaints that the relevant departments were too slow.

"Previously, some cases took as long as six years to be approved. Now, we have cleared the backlog of cases and it's quite up-to-date," Lim said after a dialogue with some 80 industrialists on anti-recession measures here yesterday.

Also present were investPenang's executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon, Penang Development Corporation chairman Datuk Rosli Jaafar, Penang Island Municipal Council president Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman and Seberang Prai Municipal Council president Farizan Darus.

Lim said the land office had been instructed to speed up the process.
He said within one or two months, if the technical departments and committees did not attend the meeting and give their feedback, it would be assumed that the technical committees agreed to approve the applications.

"These technical committees take too long to give their feedback," Lim said.

During the dialogue, state Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association chairman Datuk Jerry Chan said land conversions took too long, claiming that some technical departments took too long with their reports.