Business world: Fadillah meeting women entrepreneurs at the convention in Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 700 houses are yet to be rebuilt after the massive floods in Kelantan last year.

It is because land issues are affecting the rebuilding process as the authorities require proof that the land belongs to the rightful owner.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the verification process was needed to avoid legal complications.

“The standard operating procedure is clear: The person who is getting a house needs to prove that it is his land.

The ministry, said Fadillah, was already being lenient as it did not necessarily require land grants to start rebuilding the houses.

“As long as the state government, through its land office, is able to issue a verification letter, then we will be able to execute. That is all we need,” he said.

Fadillah said the ministry hoped to rebuild all the houses this year.

“However, if they cannot resolve the land issue, we cannot start the construction. For those whose land issues are resolved, we can give the commitment that the houses will be completed this November,” he said.

So far, about 160 houses have been rebuilt with 300 more to be completed by the end of November.

In April, former deputy prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had reportedly said that 1,918 units of houses were completely destroyed by the

floods in Kelantan.