Explain takeover of native land

DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
23 January, 2008

Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) called on the Government to explain why 60,000 hectares in Sugut, Tandek and Pitas have been taken away from natives and given to big companies to open up plantations.

In a statement Tuesday, the party's coordinator for Matunggong, Muada Joe Ojihi, said if the Government were really sincere in its programmes to eradicate poverty in Sabah, it should not have allowed big companies to take up the people's land. He also claimed that similar cases were also happening in Matunggong, stating that 17,000 hectares encompassing 16 villages have been 'taken away' by Safoda.

"The natives rely on these lands for a living and the Government should have helped these people open their land rather than giving out to companies such as Safoda, which might be tempted to carry out so-called joint ventures with other companies," he said.

He cited the case in Kuala Penyu where 3,100 hectares were allotted to a company for sugarcane plantation but in the end the land ended up being mortgaged to banks and the project collapsed.

"The Government must learn from this particular case as natives are denied their customary rights to the land," Muada said.