KOTA MARUDU: An end to the land dispute is in sight for 48 villages affected by the awarding of land for development to the Sabah Forestry Development Authority (Safoda) and the company, Begaraya Sdn Bhd, in the Kota Marudu district.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, who is also Kota Marudu member of parliament, said the longstanding issue had finally been resolved with the agreement of the Land Office, Safoda and Begaraya Sdn Bhd to initiate measures that are amicable for the villagers.
“The decision made in a meeting on Monday is a win-win situation for all parties.
“The state government has agreed to give each of the 1,000-odd affected families 20 acres of land which are 15 acres of communal titled land and five acres of land declared as village reserve land,” he said when opening a briefing on the cultivation of cocoa, rubber and pepper for 300 Kota Marudu folks at the community hall here yesterday.
Safoda had applied for 4,793.9 hectares of land in the Kota Marudu district which were disputed by the people of 18 villages who claimed customary rights. Begaraya Sdn Bhd had been approved 40,000 hectares of land in Kota Marudu in 1997, in which 30 villages had made overlapping claims.
Dr Ongkii added that the perimeter survey for the communal titles would begin next month and he was hopeful that by December, two village communal titles would be issued.
“With the land titles, villagers are protected of their right to their native customary land, including from being invaded by companies. The villagers can also start developing their land, including in partnership with the land developers,” he said.
Dr Ongkili also thanked the state government and Land Office for resolving the problem which had caused unhappiness among the villagers. He, together with assemblywoman for Tandek, Anita Baranting and Matunggong assemblyman Sarapin Magana, had been making great efforts to negotiate a solution that would protect the people’s rights and welfare in the matter.
The issue was even made a resolution in the PBS Tandek division, where a meeting chaired by Dr Ongkili last year, rejected the Safoda and Begaraya Sdn Bhd’s land claims.
Dr Ongkili also urged the villages’ committees to get involved by identifying the number of families entitled to the titles at their respective villages as well as in the perimeter survey exercises.
On the briefing for the cultivation of cocoa, rubber and pepper, the minister said it was to encourage the villagers to utilise their land and venture into this field of commercial crops which had huge potential to increase their income, especially with the rising prices of the commodities.
He said the briefing, organised by his parliamentary office and the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, was also to inform the villagers of the available government assistance for them to embark on the activities.
Dr Ongkili later presented blankets, mattresses and pillows to equip the rural hostel of SK Temuno Teringai in Kota Marudu which has 50 primary students living there.
He also announced an allocation to equip the hostel with a dining and cooking area, utensils, chairs and mats, aside from RM1,500 a month for the rest of the year to provide meals for the hostel residents.
In the evening, he distributed bubur lambuk to Muslim villagers to break their fast at the At-Taqwa Mosque in Kota Marudu.