Land, Law and Policy Reform for the Management of Squatter Resettlement in Malaysia

This paper is to identify what are the factors amounting to squatter resettlement and how the law overcome this issue which has been unsolved problem in developing country. High volume of internal migration without adequate planning and support leads to urban problems such as squatter settlements, slum areas, traffic congestions, urban poor, urban sprawl, etc. Housing policies which focus primarily on legalizing the land tenure of residents, slum redevelopment and it involves the demolition of existing squatter's resettlement and redevelopment of new resident. Land, law and policy reform for the management of squatter settlements in Malaysia is a research undertaken to explore the need to develop policies and legal mechanism to manage the issues relating to squatters in Malaysia. Post independence Malaysia witnessed influx of rural population to urban centers in pursuit of better opportunities in terms of employment, education, health and improved living conditions. This has impacted adversely on the urban environment owing to the pressure arising from the increasing demand for land from the population. Slums created by informal settlements are not mere problems that require adhoc solutions, but could be a result of lopsided and vested urban policies covering land ownership, unequal access to land, infrastructure provision and maintenance, and other socio-economic issues. Squatter settlement is becoming an increasing global concern that if left unchecked could culminate into a global crisis no less than global financial crisis