KUCHING: The recent fiery protest against logging activities in Tebedu may happen again this time in Semadang, Penrissen and Skio, Bau following resentment over the news that a timber company would be operating there soon.
The talks among the village folks have it that the timber company has recently been given a licence to extract timber on the native land belonging to the people of both villages along the newly built Semadang/Skio road.
Semadang headman Samson Manggang, when asked to comment, admitted that the timber company held a dialogue session with his villagers recently to seek their permission to commence logging activities.
According to him, the villagers there and then rejected the company’s request.
“We are strongly against the logging activities in our area. We will prevent them from coming into our land and have formed an action committee for the purpose,” he said in an interview.
The state was recently shocked by a protest staged by an unprecedented large number of people from 10 villages against a company that operated in their land in Tebedu.
The protesters had resorted to torching heavy machineries, lorries and workers’ quarters in their bid to end the logging company’s activities.
It was also reported in the media that the foreign workers in the timber camp scattered and ran off in fear of being attacked when they saw the protesters had come with ‘parangs’.
As for the case in Semadang and Skio, rumours also have it that the signatures of those who consented the logging activity were forged and a police report had been lodged.
Samson, while hoping for an amicable solution, said the timber company should understand the local people’s sentiments.
He stressed this was important to avoid any untoward incidents from happening.