Sg Batu ART depot: 70 land owners get compensation
KUCHING: A total of 70 landowners affected by the Sungai Batu Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system depot project have received compensation from the state government amounting to RM23,425,726.90.
Approximately 113 acres of their land were acquired by the state government to make way for the development of the system.
The cheques were presented by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan during a ceremony at Yayasan Sarawak auditorium along Jalan Sultan Tengah here yesterday.
According to him, the land located in Santubong has been identified as the site for the ART maintenance depot and station, the main component of the infrastructure.
He said depots and maintenance stations needed to be built first to enable the ART public transport to operate – meaning the state would have to acquire land for this purpose, as not all lands are owned by the government.
“The government needs to take back the land, with the appropriate compensations, in line with the provisions under the State Land Code Chapter 81 and Article 13 of the Federal Constitution.
“All the land acquired will be compensated based on an assessment by the Department of Land and Survey, according to the current value.
“I hope that the recipients will use this compensation money in the best possible way, and for their children’s education,” said the Deputy Premier in his speech.
Meanwhile, Kuching Division Land and Survey superintendent Alfian Bawi, said the Sungai Batu depot would serve as a support hub for the operation and maintenance of ART vehicles and hydrogen-powered shuttle buses.
“It (depot) will house essential facilities meant to facilitate the operation and maintenance of the ART hydrogen vehicles (H2V). Key buildings will also be built such as the backup control centre, infrastructure workshop, mechanical workshop, test track, the ‘stabling yard’, hydrogengas filling station and the bus intermediary depot,” he said.
Alfian also said that the work to reclaim the land for the ART depot had kicked off last year.
“Fifty lots of land have been taken back to realise the implementation of the depot at Sungai Batu in Santubong, of which 16 lots are freehold land and the remaining 34 lots are NCR (Native Customary Rights) land.
“Almost all the landowners involved agreed with the compensation paid, proving that the government never denies the people’s rights and always pays the appropriate compensations to the landowners,” he said.
Also present yesterday were federal Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, Deputy Minister II for Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, and Sarawak Land and Survey director Datu Abdullah Julaihi.