Over 84,000 Small Estate Cases Worth RM19 Bln Settled Last Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- A total of 84,384 small estate cases with an overall value of RM19.01 billion were successfully settled throughout 2025, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said the achievement reflects the ministry’s continued commitment to managing estate distribution, although 46,707 cases remained unresolved as of Dec 31 last year.

Syed Ibrahim said the ministry, through the Federal Director-General of Lands and Mines Department (JKPTG), is now targeting to fully resolve the remaining backlog by 2028.

“Although we have not fully completed all cases, many have been successfully resolved. In principle, JKPTG is targeting to reduce the backlog of small estate cases within the next two years, by 2028, provided there are no further issues or disputes,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.

He was responding to a question from Dr Abd Ghani Ahmad (PN-Jerlun), who sought to know the number of unresolved small estate cases, the causes of delays and the targeted timeframe to reduce the backlog.

Syed Ibrahim said that for complete applications without disputes, the ministry has set a standard completion period of four months from the date the application is submitted.

However, he acknowledged that issues related to the attitude and cooperation of heirs remain the main factors slowing down the estate claim process.

“Delays by heirs in submitting claims due to work commitments, compounded by multiple successive deaths, make the estate distribution process more complex.

“In addition, disputes and the lack of consensus among heirs over who should inherit or manage the deceased’s assets also pose obstacles,” he said.

He further explained that incomplete documentation, lack of knowledge about the application process, reluctance among heirs to attend hearings, as well as difficulties in tracing other eligible heirs, also contribute to delays in resolving cases.

-- BERNAMA