Extracted From Malaysiakini

 

Tebedu villagers angry over decision to take their land

Tony Thien

Oct 14, 04 1:49pm

The Bidayuh-Sadong villagers in Kampung Entubuh at Tebedu near the Malaysian-Indonesian border of Sarawak are shocked and angry after learning recently that their entire occupied kampung land is to be acquired by the government for an inland port project.

A Land and Survey Department official handed a letter last Thursday to the village heads, representing 106 families comprising about 550 men, women and children, notifying them of such a move.

They have reacted with shock, sadness and anger, especially as there was no prior consultation, and have sought immediate help from their elected representative Michael Manyin to put a halt to it.

According to a government official based in Tebedu, the villagers were greatly distressed at learning that the land they and their grandparents have occupied for nearly a century are going to be completely acquired for the project.

“The villagers were so distressed that they spent four restless days and nights recently and met for four times to discuss the matter after receiving the notification letter,” he added.

60 days for claims

The letter, signed by Samarahan Superintendent of Land and Survey Ari Abdul Rahman, has issued notice under Section 5 (3 and 4) of the Sarawak Land Code to advise of the government’s intention to extinguish their native customary rights (NCR) on the land and asking them to submit claims for compensation within sixty days (in this case expiring Nov 21).

After this date, no claim for compensation will be entertained.

Under the law, anyone who is dissatisfied with the compensation sums offered can refer the matter for arbitration.

The villagers have informed the authorities that they do not want to move away nor do they have any intention of doing so from the land on which they have built homes and farmed since the 1920s, according to opposition Sarawak Reform Party (Star) president Dr Patau Rubis (photo) who visited the village earlier this week.

The village is at the edge of Tebedu bazaar, about 100km from Kuching, near the Tebedu-Entikong international checkpoint. The kampung land is affected by the proposed development of the 150-ha inland port.

A new township Bandar Mutiara has also been developed at Tebedu, and a cluster of labour-intensive industries to utilize cheap Indonesian labour is being planned near the vicinity by a state government agency in joint venture with the private sector.

The village’s security and development committee secretary Michael Jumat told malaysiakini that a four-member delegation led by community head Beranyai Basi will meet the Tebedu state assemblyperson Michael Manyin, who is also state environment and public health minister, to convey their concerns and views to him.

Not consulted

Tebedu senior administrative officer Bai Dunga, when contacted, would only say that he had been asked to prepare a report for the minister before the meeting tomorrow in Kuching.

“We are anxious to find out whether our elected rep is aware or not of the proposed acquisition of the kampung land for the project,” Jumat added.

“We were never consulted before (about the land going to be affected by the project),” Jumat said. “We refuse to go.”

The origins of the kampung started with the first wave of migration from what was then Dutch-ruled Indonesia into a Sarawak under the White Rajah rule.

The villagers are all Malaysians of Sarawak origin belonging to the Bidayuh-Sadong group, and holding blue identity cards.

Jumat described the government’s move as ‘very stupid’ and likely to have serious repercussions unless it is stopped.

“The project proponents should look elsewhere for land. There is so much land in Sarawak .Why take our kampung land? We are very angry,” he added.