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Saturday, September 27, 2014

Star opposes land seizures by illegals

The Sabah Government should not expect the poor villagers affected to engage lawyers and take the matter to Court.
Screen shot 2014-09-27 at 9.51.30 AM
KOTA KINABALU: The State Reform Party Sabah (Star) has expressed dismay after receiving complaints that a company ferried in 100 foreigners, allegedly illegals, to evict villagers from their land in three villages in Ranau on Thursday. The foreigners also destroyed their crops.
The villages were identified as Kampung Malinsau, Kampung Wayan and Kampung Sinurai.
“The Sabah Government should stop such practices where companies are alienated land already owned by the Orang Asal,” said Star Chief Jeffrey Kitingan in a statement.
“If the authorities don’t protect the land rights of the Orang Asal, they will become squatters in their own country, as already happening in many parts of Sabah.”
He warned that if there was any bloodshed as a result of land disputes, the blood would be on the hands of the leaders of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).
Inaction, he stressed, was not an option.
Jeffrey, who is also Bingkor Assemblyman, reminded the Sabah and Federal Governments that they had given a guarantee on Batu Sumpah (Oath Stone), a constitutional document, that they will respect, honour and uphold the culture, customs, traditions and Adat of the Orang Asal.
“Land is a key part of the Adat and a Native Customary Right (NCR) and is life itself for the Orang Asal,” added Jeffrey. “Also, land is a Sabah Government matter under Batu Sumpah in Keningau.”
The land rights of indigenous communities, he stressed, was recognised by the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People.
He called upon the Sabah Government to give the company concerned alternative land and not look the other way as the traditional lifestyle of the villagers in the three villages affected were destroyed because of bureaucratic foul-ups.
He pointed out that in a similar incident recently in Tongod, a company involved in a land dispute had brought in more than 100 illegals and chased out the Orang Asal there and seized their land.
Jeffrey wants the Sabah Government to look into the plight of these people as well and review all cases of land disputes where companies are involved with the Orang Asal.
“The government should not expect the poor villagers affected to engage lawyers and take the matter to court,” said Jeffrey. “All it needs is a stroke of the pen for the government to protect the land rights of the people.”

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