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S’wak
leaders take swipe at NCR lobby
Jun 13,
Irate
At a
closed-door meeting yesterday, state Barisan Nasional leaders were also said to
have expressed displeasure with the non-governmental body Borneo Resources
Institute (Brimas) and Orang Ulu lawyer Baru Bian for their actions to protect
native interests.
A source said two senior state ministers - Deputy Chief Ministers Alfred Jabu
and Dr George Chan - were particularly irked during the three-hour meeting.
Owners of NCR land have been increasingly turning to Suhakam to look into their
allegations of violation of human rights.
Many have instituted legal action against the state government or its agencies,
as well as logging and plantation companies, for encroachment into NCR land,
especially farming land.
They alleged that this has caused destruction to crops and fruit trees and
deprived them of an important source of income.
Chief
Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud chaired the meeting, which was attended by BN state
assemblypersons from the different component parties - Parti Pesaka Bumiputera
Bersatu, Sarawak United People's Party and Sarawak Progressive Democratic
Party.
Representatives of the newly-formed Parti Rakyat Sarawak were also present,
although the party has yet to be formally admitted into the BN.
‘Many
problems’
According to information received, Chan had allegedly said Suhakam and Brimas
have given the state government a lot of problems, commenting that the latter
is well equipped with computers and supported by foreign NGOs.
(Brimas was set up to educate the indigenous peoples on their rights and to
promote community-based sustainable resource management and conservation.)
Over the last
few days, the local media had quoted Jabu as saying that ‘instigators’ had gone
to the ground to tell the natives to go against state policy on NCR land
development.
Although he did not name them, it is widely believed he was
referring to Suhakam, NGOs and opposition politicians.
A Suhakam official, when contacted, said most of the complaints received in the
state are about encroachment into NCR land and resulting loss of income, as
well as the impact of economic activities on water catchment areas including
those in Lundu and Miri.
Recently, Suhakam had stepped in when the Land and Survey Department sent a
demolition team to start tearing down homes belonging to a group of villagers
staying next to Canada Hill, behind
This was said to have annoyed state government leaders, especially Chan who is
from Miri, who saw this as interference.
The department has since put the demolition order on hold, pending resolution
of the complaints.