E-Tanah system lets many down

22/12/2007 The Star By CHRISTINA CHIN

PENANG: Since the electronic land administration system (e-Tanah) pilot project was implemented here in October, legal clerks and lawyers have been making a beeline to the State Land and Mineral Office before the crack of dawn.

A check by The Star yesterday showed that some had been waiting since 2.30am to get their land matters sorted out.

Long wait: Legal clerks and office boys taking a rest outside the State Land and Mineral Office in Penang as some had come in as early as 2.30am to get a number.

Neoh Khoon Chew, who was among more than 20 people queuing up at the five counters at 1.30am yesterday, said in his 19 years' experience as a legal clerk, he had never had to wait for more than two hours to get things done.

“Since e-Tanah was introduced, I have been coming in as early as 4.30am just to get a number. I am very disappointed. On paper, e-Tanah is good but the implementation definitely needs to improve.

“It is way too slow. When we approach the counter staff, we were told to be patient and to give the system a chance because it is new,” he said.

Lawyer Goh Kok Thye who had been waiting since 5am, said when he arrived at the office, there were already more than 20 people there.

“The end of the year is a particularly busy period so it is even more crucial that the system is ironed out.

“Before e-Tanah, they could serve about 60 people a day. Today, they only served 26 people before the counters closed and I was not one of them,” he said when contacted by telephone.

Jenny Loh agreed.

“Instead of having full-fledged e-Tanah counters, perhaps they should also have the conventional system as back up. It would be good too if they had officers on hand to update us on the delay and waiting period,” she said.

A clerk who only wanted to be known as Khairul said he had been coming in early every day and was lucky if he could get things done by late afternoon.

“Previously, we only had to wait for 20 minutes so this is getting to be quite ridiculous,” he said.

In recent reports, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said following its successful implementation, the e-Tanah system would be extended to the entire peninsula this month.

The system had been expected to cut transaction time in half, enable an online comprehensive land database collection and make the application and registration of titles more efficient.

State Land and Mineral Office director Ariffin bin Awang could not be reached for comment.