Violet: 10 Bintawa industrial estate lots deserve titles, not TOLs

KUCHING: Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong has called upon the Land and Survey Department (LSD) to issue individual titles to 10 industrial lots which have been operating at Bintawa Industrial Estate here for nearly three decades.

According to her, these industrial lots only hold temporary occupation licences (TOL) which were issued by LSD in 1990.

“This group of allottees shifted to this industrial land at Jalan Perbadanan near Bintawa Wet Market and since 1990 until today, they only hold TOL and were never issued any title.

“I urge Land and Survey Department to expedite the process and come up with individual titles for these people who have been operating there for nearly 30 years,” she told a press conference at DAP Sarawak headquarters, here yesterday.

She pointed out that the allottees had previously approached Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) for assistance on the matter but to no avail.

She noted that without the individual titles, the allottees would not be able to develop the land they are operating on in view that it is “under TOL which is still considered state land”.

“They cannot charge their land or seek financing to expand their business and that is why they are urging the Gabungan Parti Sarawak ( GPS) government to expedite the process.”

Yong said the allottees have expressed their concern that without individual titles, the Sarawak government may evict them at any time.

“They want their rights to be protected under the Sarawak Land Code and want the title to be issued to them.

“It is unfair for the GPS government to just sit on the problem and not deal with it. They should not let them operate in limbo,” she said, adding that she would also be bringing up this issue in the upcoming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting.

Also present at the press conference was DAP Socialist Youth ( Dapsy) Sarawak publicity secretary Abdul Aziz Isa.