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The heavy handed approach by the Lands and Surveys Department on the Indigenous communities currently occupying State’s Lands such as the demolition of houses at Kg. Liawan, Keningau and soon to be at Kg. Pituru, Lok Kawi is disappointing and unwarranted.
While the Lands and Surveys Department in practice is allowed to take such measure, the Chief Minister, Hajiji Mohd Noor or any of his 3 Deputy Chief Ministers should have engaged with these communities beforehand and explain to them the necessity of such action.
This is so since Lands and Surveys Department is under the purview of Chief Minister’s Office and being the trustee of these State’s Lands, Hajiji is obliged to provide the requisite explanation.
This trustee concept is best illustrated in Peninsular where it will always be the Menteri Besar (MB) or Chief Minister providing the explanation whenever conflicts involving States’ Lands and current occupants such as temple committee or even Malay reserve land occurs.
Question now arise whether there is an ulterior motive in demolishing and chasing the Indigenous communities out without any sense of empathy or mercy by the GRS establishment. Are some of these Lands being eye-marked for joint-venture proposals that being rushed by unscrupulous, greedy politicians and brokers who care nothing but kickbacks?
The continued silence by GRS leaders not only on Pituru and Liawan but other allegations of land grabbing in Sabah making its rounds in social medias including the infamous incident involving a Pakistani citizen at Beaufort gives the impression that Sabah is in a deep state.
There is no transparency or accountability on how the GRS-led State Government utilizes its Lands, hence herein lies the risk awaiting the rest of the poor Indigenous communities in Sabah of being evicted from Land or Riparian Reserves they currently occupying or have their Lands unnecessarily acquired for the purpose of ‘development’ that may very well orchestrated by corrupt politicians in-cohort with brokers.
In fact, I noted some PH Sabah leaders who used to be so vocal on land grabbing issue now lost their voices after sitting comfortably as Cabinet Ministers so perhaps in accordance with their new roles, the respective Chiefs of PKR Sabah and DAP Sabah should be doing the explanation on this matter on behalf of the Chief Minister.
By doing so, Cabinet Ministers from PH Sabah will be given extra mark for passing their ‘ministerial collective responsibilities’ convention test.
As for Warisan, I once again reiterate it here that our Pensiangan Division tabled a motion during our AGM last year (that received full support from delegates) that upon forming the new Government, we will immediately proceed with the investigation on land grabbing allegation all over Sabah and to bring to justice corrupt officers involved in the matter.
And following the footstep of Sarawak, Warisan will also establish the State’s own Ombudsmen to allow Sabahans especially our poor Indigenous communities to air their grievances against the action of incompetent or corrupt officers and other Little Napoleons not only on Land matters but other government-related services too.
The landmark decision by the High Court of ordering the Federal Government to return back some 263.67 acres of land at Mukim Batu along Jalan Duta to Semantan Estate Sdn. Bhd. tells us how injustices and wrongful acquisition by the Government can happen.
Mudi Dubing
Supreme Council Member
Pensiangan Division Chief
Parti Warisan
15 August 2024
