Urgent solution to land dispute needed
KOTA MARUDU, July 7 (The Borneo Post)
-- Tandek assemblywoman Anita Baranting has expressed appreciation
and thanks to the state government for committing to resolve
the land dispute involving 60,000ha of land approved to
Begaraya Sdn Bhd in Kota Marudu and Pitas districts.Anita
welcomed Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman’s statement
on Monday that the state government was prepared to negotiate
the land approval given to the company, in the interest
of the villagers there.
“The issue has stoked the emotions of the affected people
who have been living and working on the land for a long
time. The government’s undertaking to address the problem
will lighten the negative impact of the issue.
“However, I do hope the issue will be quickly looked into
and resolved as it has caused much anger among the people
against the Barisan Nasional,” she said in a statement yesterday.
The people’s contention was that the perimeter survey done
by Begaraya to develop 60,000ha of land involving 35 villages
in the two districts did not exclude land developed by villagers
and native customary rights land (NCR).
The land area overlaps with the NCR land, land alienated
as village reserve, land applied and developed by farmers,
grazing reserve, water catchment areas and those earmarked
for public amenities, which should have been exercised out
from the perimeter survey.
“Begaraya did not fulfill its previous undertaking reached
at a meeting involving the district office and village heads
to also survey the kampung boundaries and customary rights
land simultaneously with its perimeter survey,” said Anita,
who had also highlighted the people’s grievances at the
state assembly sitting.
Due to the overlapping land claims, she said farmers and
villagers were hindered from developing their land and their
livelihood had been affected.
“There are two ways to resolve the issue. One is to cancel
the award of the land to Begaraya. The other solution is
for them to comply with the people’s request for survey
to be done for the kampung boundaries and customary rights
land simultaneously with the perimeter survey,” she said.
Matunggong assemblyman Sarapin Magana also supported the
Chief Minister’s statement, adding that urgent action was
required as the issue was being capitalised by the opposition
to fan people’s sentiment against the government.
He said similarly affected were villagers in Matunggong
(the other state seat under Kota Marudu parliamentary constituency)
where SAFODA was awarded 7,000 ha of land for development.
Sarapin said that the longstanding issue since 1997 involved
SAFODA’s claim on land which overlapped with six villages
and settlements.
“This has been a perennial problem that has been brought
to the attention of previous Sabah Chief Ministers,” he
said, adding that the so-called land that belonged to SAFODA
did not exist as the land in question had long been occupied
and developed by villagers.
“The people have been appealing to SAFODA to withdraw its
land application. Surely the government agencies do not
have to compete with landowners for land and can be allocated
land elsewhere with no inhabitants.
“We believe Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is the
only one who can handle the matter and we will give him
full support in resolving the issue,” he added.
In May, PBS Tandek division during its annual general meeting,
passed a resolution calling on the state Government to revoke
the land approved to Begaraya Sdn Bhd and SAFODA in view
of the people’s anger and failure of the two parties to
comply with their request.
