REGISTRATION OF DEEDS (AMENDMENT) RULES, 1955

Mr E. J. Davies: Sir, in the unavoidable absence of the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing (Inche Abdul Hamid Bin Haji Jumat), I beg to move the motion standing in his name,

That this Assembly, in accordance with subsection (2) of section 30 of the Registration of Deeds Ordinance (Chapter 121), resolves that the Registration of Deeds (Amendment) Rules, 1955, made by the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing on the 28th day of May. 1955, and published as Notification No. S 157 in the Gazette Supplement No. 42 of 3rd June, 1955, as contained in Sessional Paper No. S.L. 15 of 1955, be approved.

As hon. Members are aware, it is a declared policy of this Government to afford every encouragement to persons in the low income group to own their own houses, and the Minister has been exploring ways and means to achieve this purpose. One ready and available method by which this purpose might be achieved is to facilitate the sale and purchase of flat units which could be made available to the public at prices substantially lower than those asked for houses and bungalows. As Members are aware, flat units may be sold and disposed of in the same manner as other interests in land, but it is difficult for the purchasers to obtain a satisfactory title by reason of the provisions of the Registration of Deeds Ordinance. Section 5 of that Ordinance provides that no deeds affecting land shall be admissible in court as evidence of title to any land unless and until they have been registered as directed by the Ordinance; and under the provisions of section 15 of that Ordinance, no deed may be registered unless the land affected by it has been surveyed and demarcated to the satisfaction of the Surveyor-General.

With regard to flats, however, which entail a sub-division of a piece of land in horizontal strata one above the other, survey and demarcation of boundaries is difficult, if not impossible. There is, however, provision for exemption in the Ordinance, and there is contained in Rule 13 of the Registration of Deeds Rules. 1934, whereby the Registrar of Deeds is permitted to dispense with the compliance of certain provisions of the Ordinance. Paragraph 2 of that Rule allows the registration without the necessity for survey and proper demarcation of boundaries of leases for a period of 21 years, or less in certain cases. This provision, Sir, enables flats to be registered without difficulty, but the leasehold title thereby acquired is limited to 21 years.

The amendment, which is the subject of this motion, enables the leasehold title of an indefinite duration to be secured for flat units, and will facilitate and, it is hoped, greatly encourage the building of flats for sale and for their purchase by members of the public within the low income group.

This motion is one which I venture to think will have the full support of very Member in this Assembly. I therefore beg to move.

Mr Hart: Sir, I second it.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly, in accordance with subsection (2) of section 30 of the Registration of Deeds Ordinance (Chapter 121), resolves that the Registration of Deeds (Amendment) Rules, 1955, made by the Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing on the 28th day of May, 1955, and published as Notification No. S 157 in the Gazette Supplement No. 42 of 3rd June, 1955, as contained in Sessional Paper No. S.L. 15 of 1955, be approved.