By Luke Rintod
Biro Tata Negara director Ibrahim Saad was taken
aback when he visited villagers in Tandek, Sabah, on a fact-finding trip
recently.
KOTA MARUDU (Sabah): The director
of the Biro Tata Negara (National Civics Bureau), Ibrahim Saad, was taken aback
when he heard the grouses of the people in Tandek here last Thursday.
In a
meeting with the residents there, Ibrahim was jolted when he heard stories of
the systematic land grabs, government lies about MyKad and the illegal
immigrants, and the long delay in processing the natives’ applications for land
titles.
Ibrahim
went to the ground to feel the pulse of the people – and got a earful for his
pains. Now residents here are wondering whether Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
will get an unvarnished report from Ibrahim about his “bruising encounter” with
the villagers here.
Ibrahim, who
has served in the BTN as the federal government’s “eyes and ears” for 10 years,
appeared shocked as he listened to about a dozen elders, including women – who
took to the microphone in the new Tandek Hall here – tell sad stories of their
long suffering.
As the
villagers recounted their tales of woe, Ibrahim was seen assiduously taking
down notes.
One
resident said about 50 kampungs in Tandek are being threatened with eviction by
a company that has been allotted 65,000 hectares of fertile land stretching
from Beluran to the edge of Pitas and Kota Marudu.
One
headman, KK Bandawa Sandigan, from Kampung Malangkap, Marak-Parak, said land
applications by the natives dating as far back as 1973 were never processed,
while similar application by a company was approved in “lightning” speed
allegedly during Yong Teck Lee’s tenure as chief minister.
“Please do
something about this. If our applications are not in order, please tell us so,
guide us, don’t simply put our applications away.
“We have
rights here,” said Sandigan.
Double standard on increments
An elderly
resident questioned the 1Malaysia slogan – People First, Performance Now –
saying it is “hollow and insincere”.
Yet another elder took Najib and the government to task for
leaving Sabah out when announcing the the 2010 increments in allowances for
ketua kampung (village headman) and Village Security and Development
Committee (JKKK)
chairman.
“While our
counterparts from the Peninsula now enjoy a RM800 monthly allowance, in Sabah
the JKKK chairman and ketua kampung are still receiving their old allowances
(RM250 and RM400 respectively). Where is 1Malaysia?” he asked.
A woman
leader from another village near Tandek told Ibrahim that it was very hard for
her to go around explaining government policies when the only topic of interest
to the villagers was the land grabs.
“There is
no point (explaining government policies). We want developments but very little
is coming while our lands are being threatened by big companies,” she said.
Another
activist from Tangkarason, Jaipin Mohigal, told how 32 houses were razed to the
ground in Kampung Koiboton, Tangkarason, in 2006, as the Sabah forestry
officers tried to chase them out of their NCR (native customary right) land.
“Something
must be done to solve these serious land grab issues in Tandek before it gets
out of control…” he said.
Not convincing
Meanwhile,
Ibrahim tried to explain to the residents the reason for the delay in processing
their land applications – “insufficient documents” – and the issue of illegal
traders. But the crowd was not convinced.
“Your land
applications could be incomplete and not in order as every application needs
the approval of six agencies. On the other hand, the application of the company
was in order and thus approved.
“Also,
there is no way an illegal immigrant would have his or her trading licence
approved as he or she has no proper identification,” Ibrahim said.
But one
disgruntled elder rebutted: “If our land applications were incomplete, the
officer should tell us so and not throw away our files.”
The crowd
was annoyed when Ibrahim denied the existence of illegal traders. Many in the
crowd were heard saying: “He (Ibrahim) is telling us that those illegal
immigrants now have MyKad – genuine or fake – and so we cannot allege they are
illegal immigrants anymore…”
The
three-hour gruelling session with the villagers ended with Ibrahim, a former
teacher from Kedah, promising to look into their grouses.
Source : FMT
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