Towards Smart Land Governance: A Fit-For-Purpose Electronic Land Administration Framework for Sustainable Digital Transformation

Kamarul Akhtar Idris; Abdul Halim Hamzah

doi:10.53840/myjict11-1-251

Authors

Kamarul Akhtar Idris Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Abdul Halim Hamzah Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53840/myjict11-1-251

Keywords:

Electronic Land Administration System (eLAS), Smart Land Governance, Digital Transformation, Interoperable Land Information Systems, Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA)

Abstract

Digital transformation has become a strategic enabler of smart land governance by improving transparency, efficiency and accessibility in land administration. However, the implementation of Electronic Land Administration Systems (eLAS) remains constrained by fragmented legal frameworks, weak interoperability between cadastral and registration data, and emerging concerns over data security and institutional readiness. This paper aims to develop a Fit-for-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA)-based conceptual framework for implementing eLAS to support sustainable digital transformation in land administration. A qualitative research design was adopted, integrating systematic literature review principles, document analysis, multiple case study analysis of Malaysia’s e-Tanah implementation and semi-structured interviews with land administration experts and system practitioners. The data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, supported by triangulation across literature, documents and interview findings. The main findings reveal three critical implementation challenges: legal and policy fragmentation, limited system interoperability, and security and data governance risks. The study further identifies governance, data integration and FFPLA principles as essential framework components for enabling scalable, adaptive and context-sensitive eLAS implementation. The proposed framework demonstrates that smart land governance requires interaction between institutional coordination, standardized spatial–textual data integration, secure digital infrastructure and phased implementation according to local capacity. This paper contributes to information systems and land administration literature by offering a practical, transferable and sustainability-oriented framework for strengthening digital land governance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Abdul Halim Hamzah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Senior Lecturer, Land Administration and Development Studies (Lands), Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

References

Bennett, R., Rajabifard, A., Kalantari, M., & Wallace, J. (2013). Cadastral futures: Building a new vision for the nature and role of cadastres. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 27(4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13658816.2012.745497.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.

Creswell, J. W., & Miller, D. L. (2000). Determining validity in qualitative inquiry. Theory into practice,39(3), 124-130.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications..

Dawidowicz, A., & Źróbek, R. (2017). The role of land administration systems in the process of sustainable development. Land Use Policy, 68, 604–614. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.08.042.

Enemark, S. (2009). Sustainability and land governance: Three key challenges. FIG Working Week 2009 Proceedings.

Enemark, S., Bell, K. C., Lemmen, C., & McLaren, R. (2014). Fit-for-purpose land administration. International Federation of Surveyors (FIG). https://www.fig.net/resources/publications/figpub/pub60/Figpub60.pdf.

Enemark, S., McLaren, R., & Lemmen, C. (2016). Fit-for-purpose land administration: Guiding principles for country implementation. Land Use Policy, 56, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.03.010.

Ganason, G. (2022). Digital transformation in Malaysian land administration: Evaluating the e-Tanah system. Journal of Property and Land Management, 15(2), 45–60.

Grant, J. S., & Davis, L. L. (1997). Selection and use of content experts for instrument development. Research in nursing & health, 20(3), 269-274.

Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field methods, 18(1), 59-82.

Halid, H., & Nawawi, A. (2023). Enhancing land governance through digital systems: A case study of e-Tanah implementation in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Information and Communication Technology, 8(1), 25–38.

Ishak, M. H., Karim, H. A., & Wahid, R. (2023). Challenges in integrating cadastral and land registration systems in Malaysia. Land Use Policy, 125, 106512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106512.

Kalantari, M., Rajabifard, A., Wallace, J., & Williamson, I. (2015). Spatially enabled society: A new perspective on the role of land administration. Land Use Policy, 49, 312–321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.08.013.

Kallio, H., Pietilä, A. M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: developing a framework for a qualitative semi‐structured interview guide. Journal of advanced nursing, 72(12), 2954-2965.

Lawshe, C. H. (1975). A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel psychology, 28(4)

Metaferia, H., Bennett, R., & Alemie, B. K. (2022). Fit-for-purpose land administration: Progress and challenges. Land Use Policy, 114, 105998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105998.

Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLOS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097.

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. bmj, 372.

Patton, M. Q. (2014). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice. Sage publications.

Rajabifard, A., Kalantari, M., & Williamson, I. (2012). Spatially enabled society. GSDI World Conference Proceedings.

Tomic, H., Roić, M., & Mađer, M. (2022). Interoperability in land administration systems: A review of challenges and solutions. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 11(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi11020123.

Unger, E. M., Bennett, R. M., Lemmen, C., & Zevenbergen, J. (2022). A framework for assessing land administration systems. Land Use Policy, 112, 105807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105807.

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda.

United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). (2020). Framework for effective land administration (FELA). https://ggim.un.org/meetings/GGIM-committee/10th-Session/documents/E-C.20-2020-29-Add_2-Framework-for-Effective-Land-Administration.pdf.

Williamson, I., Enemark, S., Wallace, J., & Rajabifard, A. (2010). Land administration for sustainable development (p. 487). Redlands, CA, USA: ESRI Press Academic.

World Bank. (2017). Land governance assessment framework: Identifying and monitoring good practice in the land sector. World Bank Publications. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/ server/api/core/bitstreams/bba1b7f1-6520-5e92-962b-7735eec15ded/content.

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.