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.