Demolition of houses ‘heartbreaking’ – Bumburing
KOTA KINABALU: The demolition of houses in Kampung Bobotong, Entilibon by the state Forestry Department is sad and heartbreaking, said Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing.
He said the suffering of the families who are Sabahans after the roofs over their heads were destroyed was unimaginable.
“It is also reported that the Forestry Department will also destroy their crops from which they earned their subsistent income to feed their families,” he said, adding that these natives had migrated to find new farmland because of economic pressure in their original village.
According to the Tamparuli assemblyman, from time immemorial the natives of Sabah had been migrating from one place to another in search of new farmland to feed their families.
Now in the so-called independent land they are unable to find means for their living, he lamented.
Bumburing said that even during the colonial era there were natives who had made their dwelling place areas which had been designated as forest reserves but indiscriminate destruction of their dwelling houses by the colonial government was unheard of.
“I am fully aware that these people are squatting in the forest area. However why were they not prevented to build their houses when they started to settle down in the area 38 years ago? Were these people given enough warning that they are squatting in the forest area? Why are they treated like foreigners in their own state?” he asked.
“There are hundreds if not thousands of foreigners squatting in forest areas in the east coast, the north and in the west coast of Sabah. Why is there no action to demolish their houses? Everyone can see for example houses sprouting in the mangrove area in Putatan. Why was no action taken on these houses?
“The state government had excised out 30,000 hectares of forest area in Paitan and 30,000 hectares in Sapulut. There is information viraled through the social media about eight companies applying for big pieces of land. Are these applications for the recently excised areas?” Bumburing asked.
He pointed out that the villagers had been living in Kampong Bobotong for over 38 years.
“Why can't the state government include these areas for excision for the benefit of these natives?” he questioned.
“I just wonder how UPKO, PBS and PBRS are looking at the fate of their own people. Datuk Maximus (Ongkili) had claimed the right of PBS to be vocal on issues affecting Sabah. Let us see whether PBS dare to fight for these unfortunate people,” he said.
Social and political activist Kanul Gindol said the State Government is supposed to also protect the rights of these Orang Asal (indigenous people) of Sabah.
“No matter what trespasses my native brothers have on the land, Sabah is still their land and they, as community, must be allowed rights to their spaces over rights of far away individuals, he opined.
“I am very sad the Forestry Department chose the cruel way of using chainsaws to demolish the kampung houses. These very harsh acts by the government authorities shall never be allowed to break the spirit of the Orang Asal whose life has always been tied to land,” he said in a statement.