Kedah agrees with proposal to relocate Bukit Malut residents - MB

He, however, did not disclose the party who submitted the proposal and had asked the party to bring the matter up to the National Security Council (MKN) for further action.

"The state government has agreed to the proposal to relocate them (Bukit Malut residents) to other areas in Langkawi and it is now up to the MKN to make a decision. But I am confident that the MKN will agree with the proposal," he told reporters after launching Menara Alor Setar's latest feature "Star View" here today.

He said this when asked to comment on news reports on Bukit Malut's growing illegal settlement as reported by a local Malay newspaper today.

Muhammad Sanusi said the proposal to relocate the residents to another location was also in order to return the land they currently occupy to the original owners.

"The land they live on belongs to someone else, including the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM). There are landlords (to these idle lands) but there has been rampant squatting by them (residents of illegal settlements)," he said.

The newspaper report also stated that many houses had been built in Bukit Malut, including on the hillsides, without obtaining permission from the authorities.