Call to expedite issuance of NT land for natives

KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor should not only give land titles to the Federal Government agencies, but to the rightful natives, local NGOs and local enterprises, said president of Pertubuhan Kebudayaan Rumpun Dayak Sabah (PKRDS), Cleftus Spine Mojingol.

“On the 2,000 hectares given out to several Federal departments including for schools, clinics etc, while maybe necessary, we hope the hectarage for each infrastructure projects had been carefully studied to be absolutely necessary,” said Cleftus in a statement yesterday.

“We do not want to see the natives or local Sabahans being forced to make sacrifice or pushed away in the periphery like what had happened to many villages that used to ‘own’ the now huge military training camp in Kota Belud.

“PKRDS therefore calls on the State Government which is currently composed of Umno, PAS, PPBM, PBS, Star, SAPP and PBRS to also work on regaining Sabah lands, perhaps major parts of the Kem Paradise in Kota Belud be returned to these squeezed native kampungs, and also the island of Labuan,” he continued.

Cleftus said that Sabah should emulate Sarawak which is actively seeking the return of its land from these Federal agencies.

PKRDS wants the current state government to expedite the issuance of more NT land for the natives, some of whom have been waiting for more than 20 years of their land titles.

“We urge the State Government to fully uphold and attempt to strengthen the Sabah Land Ordinance, and ensure state lands are jealously guarded for the natives, first and foremost.

“The GRS should be mindful of becoming the next bertrayer of Saba hans’ trust by under priori ti sing bona fide Sabahans’ needs of land.

“In fact Hajiji and his deputies must ensure that Sabah’s lands that were alienated to Federal agencies purportedly for federal buildings but failed to materialise, must be returned to Sabah immediately. Clauses for such provision must be upheld,” he went on.

“We have had heard of reports where a school was to be built on a land given for premium-free but after five years there are no school buildings, and the Federal has the guts to ask Sabah Government to buy back the land at market value despite the land was given free to the Federal earlier. This, to us, is a mockery, and a major criminal misleading,” said Cleftus.