|
|
Extracted from Malaysiakini
Ibans stand firm on land rights
Oct 21,
Ibans from six longhouses in Aping Dadak, Abok and Limau in Pantu,
Sri Aman have come to be regarded as ‘thorns in the flesh’ for BN politicians
for their steadfast stance in defending their native customary rights (NCR)
land and refusing to surrender their lands for a major oil palm project
involving outside investors.
They say they will not allow anyone else to touch the lands which they and
their forefathers have settled on for two centuries or more if they are not
clear on the terms of any joint venture or are not consulted in any way.
Since last year, a large group of about 1000 Ibans from the six longhouses have
been campaigning vigorously to keep a Johor-based investor Tetangga Akrab Sdn
Bhd at bay. The company is in a joint venture with state-owned Land Custody and
Development Authority (LCDA) and NCR landowners from other areas.
They have even been advised by their elected representative Mong Dagang (Bukit
Begunan) and other BN leaders to anang
ngelaban perentah (Don’t fight the government), but they have
persisted and stood firm.
Recently,
they formed an ad-hoc body called Scrap Ulu Land Development Action Committee
(Suldec), with retired education officer Jacob
Imang and retired school teacher Percy anak Belon as co-chairpersons to
defend their interests. They have also started an oil palm mini estate in Aping
involving the first group of 37 families.
“When faced with such adversity, the Ibans concerned have seen it both as a
challenge and opportunity to be on their feet by getting together to start a
mini estate on their own NCR land,” an Iban community adviser Anthony Belon
told malaysiakini.
As expected, not everyone from the six longhouses agree with Suldec’s aim as
some prefer to partner with the company given the lease to develop some 7000
hectares in Pantu.
Mini estates
But this has not deterred Tuai Rumah (village chief) Christopher Ambun of
Kampung Aping Dadak and five other tuai rumah and their anekbiaks (longhouse followers) in any
way. They have started the first
nursery opposite St Maria’s Church near Kampung Aping, built a road leading
to the mini estate site, cleared and started clearing of some 300 acres and
started planting oil palm, said Jacob Imang, a New Zealand graduate with
considerable experience in business.
According to Jacob, the Aping mini estate will be the first of
several mini estates of under 500 acres planned by various groups from the
area.
“The aim is a total planted acreage of 2000 acres covering three or four mini
estates with the participation of about 200 families.”
The Aping mini estate is expected to go into production in three years’ time.
“We hope to form ourselves into a co-operative to manage the estate,” he said,
adding that the development cost is met from local resources.
Simanggang MP Jimmy Donald, when contacted, said NCR landowners can decide
whether they want to join investors to develop their NCR land into major oil
palm estates or not.
“Many have participated and many have also not participated,” he said, adding that
there is no compulsion as landowners should have options as to what they want
to do.
Bukit Begunan
state assemblyperson Mong Dagang, who is also Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) youth
leader, said he felt NCR landowners would be better off teaming up with investors
with the necessary capital and expertise ‘otherwise they could end up getting
less or worse being cheated without participating in major plantation estates.
Anthony
Belon, a former political secretary to the chief minister who is also from
the area, told malaysiakini that
many NCR landowners’ reservations stem from the fact that under the government
land development model, a 60-year lease is issued to a joint venture company in
which the landowners hold only 30 per cent equity.
“What will happen when the lease expires? Will it be renewed? By right, if a
title is issued it should be in perpetuity and issued to the native landowners
instead of a JV company, with rights given to the company to develop the land.”
Cost kept
low
Under the government model, the equity participation ratio is 60% (investor),
30 % (NCR landowners) and 10% (state agency as management agent). “But the NCR
landowners who own 30 per cent equity in the JV company
have no say or control.”
Belon asked: “As such, at the end of the 60-year period, or even earlier, the
landowners would have no hope at all to buy over without capital and expertise.
They could lose their NCR land forever.”
Under the government’s present policy, any project exceeding 500
acres requires government approval, and the Ibans in Aping
and the surrounding areas are aware of this as other NCR landowners elsewhere.
“That is why we will only concentrate in getting groups to develop mini estates
of less than 500 acres which will also not take too much resources,” Jacob
said.
As a community-based initiative, with everyone participating and contributing,
the development cost is being kept as low as possible, and they hope to reap
the harvest in thirty six months, with each family able to generate a monthly
income of RM2000 to RM3000, based on current market prices for the fruits.
“More importantly, we see this community initiative as possibly the only way to
protect and develop our only assets and to be more self sustained and
independent,” Jacob added.
