Lawyer denies wrongdoing in land for conversion case

KOTA KINABALU: A lawyer here has strongly denied any wrongdoing in a case of some Murut natives who protested in 2012 that lands promised to them for converting to Islam in 1979 were not delivered.

The story which became major news in local dailies and in online news portals, featured one Ariffin Abdullah, then 70, whose original name was Arot bin Ukab, who alleged that the ‘planned’ village was created as Kg. Masanopi in Kemabong during the Berjaya government rule as a new settlement for a group of Muruts who were willing to convert to Islam.

However many years later, Ariffin said, the villagers found out that the land belonged to someone else, i.e the person who was entrusted by the then Chief Minister, Datuk (now Tan Sri) Harris Salleh. This person, although not named by Ariffin, was supposed to be lawyer Datuk Douglas Lind, who was the political secretary to Tan Sri Harris at the material time. Lind, according to Ariffin, then sold the land to someone else, adding to the consternation and anger of Ariffin and his fellow villagers.

Lind, strongly denying Ariffin’s allegations, said he had to explain and prove his innocence to a major local bank which approached him on the matter, questioning his professional credibility.

“As I had told the bank, although I was the political secretary to Tan Sri Harris Salleh from 1980 to 1985, I was not aware of any land promised for anyone to convert. As a Catholic who am I to get involved in any group of natives to convert,” Lind said.

“All the allegations made by Ariffin against me were totally untrue and absolutely false. First of all, the land in question had always belonged to the Sapong Rubber and Tobacco Estate Ltd, which was originally a British-owned company, and was never a state land available for alienation to Ariffin and his group as he had alleged.”

Lind together with Andthony Lamb and the late Mohamad Haji Abul then purchased the land from the company, and it was subsequently transferred to them on July 27, 1983 . Only then they became aware of the presence of people squatting on the land. Subsequently, they jointly sold the land to one Mr. Ng Tet Hauon with the buyer given the full knowledge of the presence of the squatters.

“The records clearly show that Mr. Ariffin’s allegation that I had, covertly and surreptitiously diverted to myself the said land that was supposed to have been given to him and other converts is totally false,” Lind said.

“The allegation is clearly defamatory but instituting any legal action against him would have served no purpose as he did not appear to have the means to pay any judgement sum that might have been decided.

“But the truth of the matter is that Mr. Ariffin and the other illegal occupiers had occupied the said land for nearly 30 years without having paid any rentals and compensation to Anthony Lamb and Mohamad B Haji Abdul.

“It is I and the other two owners who should be complaining as we had been deprived of the enjoyment and use of the land for nearly 30 years and had clearly suffered financially as a consequence of this illegal occupation of the land by Mr. Ariffin and others,” Lind said.

“Should it be required, I have all the irrefutable documentary evidences to protect my good name.”

He added that having sold off the land, it is no longer his business, nor can he do anything with regard to the land or its squatters.

He hoped that this explanation and revelation of the true nature of the case, and ownership history of the land, there will not be anymore aspersions raised against him resulting from the publication of the 2012 article. - By Raymond B Tombung