Kpg Sebat Melayu folk claim NCR land taken by company
KUCHING: Villagers from Kampung Sebat Melayu near Sematan have claimed that their Native Customary Rights ( NCR) land has been occupied by a private company since February 2015.
They are appealing to Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to intervene.
“The company took everything away from us – the land meant for kampung extension, for our children’s new school, and destroyed our crops – 12,000 rubber trees and some 400 oil palm that have started to bear fruits,” Kampung Sebat Melayu committee chairman Wahid Jaee told The Borneo Post on Monday.
AccordingtoWahid,thecompany was issued titles to some 300 acres of NCR land which righfully belong to the local people.
“Once they got the title, they started destroying our crops,” Wahid claimed, adding that some 1,000 of his own rubber trees, which were ready to be tapped, were uprooted.
Wahid said they had tried to bring the case to court and managed to collect RM10,000 in legal fees from the 60 families.
“We hired (Selangau member of parliament) Baru Bian but we lost the case. We don’t have the money to appeal the case,” he added.
He said former Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar also invited villagers to attend a meeting on Nov 4 last year.
“Looking at the minutes of the meeting, I was very happy because our kampung’s name was on the top of the agenda list. Unfortunately, during the meeting they started by talking about other villages, followed by other issues. A headman questioned the minister, the minister said not to interrupt while he talked. So I waited until they reached the ‘other matters’ and nothing was said about our village. I questioned the minister, but until today we have not heard anything from him,” Wahid added.
He also claimed the company had gotten more aggressive and even attempted to chase villagers from their homes.
“I had gathered the whole village, who are all inter-related, to give undivided support to the ruling party prior to the previous election when they promised to solve our predicament.
“We are loyal supporters of the ruling party. Please help us,” he added.
Kampung committee Sebat Melayu secretary Mizan Seruji appealed to the Ministry of Education to expedite the construction of the village’s new school, which was approved prior to the last Sarawak election.
“I was the PTA ( parent-teacher association) chairman at that time and they promised us the new school.
“The approval was made by none other than the Education Minister himself. Sadly, we have not heard anything about the school. Worse still the site identified for the school has been taken away by a private company,” he said tearfully.
“The school issue is close to my heart. Look at the condition of our village school. Where will our future generation go to study when the land meant for the new school has also been taken away?”
Mizan, who retired from the Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) two years ago, said villagers are indeed saddened by what they have had to face.
“I decided to come home when the majority of my friends worked abroad in Dubai and other parts of the world for better remuneration. Sadly, nobody seems to care for the rural people in my village. We are feeling very tired and sad,” he said.
Kampung Sebat Melayu committee deputy chairman Halem Yalen also complained that 400 of his oil palm trees were uprooted when the NCR land was officially handed over to the private company.
“We have been seeking for help everywhere. We cannot afford to hire a lawyer. We really hope the Chief Minister will help us,” he said.
In a document seen by The Borneo Post, villagers claim the Kampung Sebat Melayu settlement began in 1817 by a Haji Gareb.
It is understood that the village’s name comes from the local Malay word ‘ tebat’, which means to block, because villagers managed to block pirates from entering the river leading to the village with tree branches and nipah palm.
Haji Gareb passed away in 1837 and the graveyard used by the village’s founders is still in use today.
By the year 1920, villagers had opened a surau and received religious education from the village’s first imam Walhazeli Abu Hashim.
The first mosque was built in 1960 by imam Hamni Menap, who was succeeded by his brother Ali Menap, who was imam when the document was written in 2013.
In 1959, villagers started building a school that opened in 1961, with the first teacher being Asua Lim Bohari.
The company took everything away from us – the land meant for kampung extension, for our children’s new school, and destroyed our crops – 12,000 rubber trees and some 400 oil palm that have started to bear fruits. Wahid Jaee, Kampung Sebat Melayu committee chairman