Once a piece of land is alienated as leasehold, it remains so. Whether it can later be changed to freehold is a matter entirely in the hands of the land authority.
The ordinary citizen who intends to buy a house and proceeds to do so is often attracted by the picturesque display of what is advertised, usually through a newspaper or a huge billboard.
This could in some cases lead to the buyer visiting the site office where attractive miniature models and an actual model unit will further influence the prospective buyer. All may appear well and the prospective buyer may put forth the deposit required.
However, the frustrations and regrets of a house buyer sometimes emerge many years later as illustrated by a newspaper report on the residents of a housing estate in Kuala Lumpur. According to the report: “Residents of Taman Cuepacs in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, are frustrated that their applications for freehold status from leasehold have been rejected by the Federal Territory Land and Minerals Department.”
The house buyers who are government servants booked the houses in 1973. At that time they were informed that the land was freehold. They said that “the property developer, Syarikat Koperasi Kerjasama Cuepacs, had put up signboards and banners stating that it was a freehold property.”
