KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee said he approved more than 40,000 Native Customary Rights (NCR) land applications during his two-year tenure as the Chief Minister, which ended the wait of over 30 years for some applicants.
During that period, he said, he had also instructed the Land and Survey Department to expedite the extension of land lease for the interest of the people in Sabah.
Should SAPP govern, the party would allow residents to extend their current lease till 999 years, the first in the country, adding that the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government has yet to resolve the extension of land lease for the industrial area in Kolombong, he said in a talk organized by SAPP, which drew more than 400 people here on Friday.
Yong said NCR land was no longer issued after his tenure, and he promised to improve efficiency in approving land-related affairs as well as bring beneficial policies to the people.
He said he had been involved in solving the issue of illegal immigrants in the State, and stood by the party’s plan to issue Sabah identity cards if the party governed.
The purpose of Sabah IC was to protect the rights of genuine Sabahans, and to differentiate Sabahans from dubious document holders, he explained.
Under the approval of Sabah and Malaysia constitution, SAPP will set up a state department to issue Sabah IC to eligible Malaysian citizens in Sabah.
He said Sabah IC holders would enjoy rights to own lands in the State, as well as incentives given by the State Government or other agencies such as business licence, State Government scholarship and welfare assistance.
Meanwhile, SAPP deputy president cum chairman of the Likas Constituency Liaison Committee Datuk Liew Teck Chan said Sabah has lost its autonomy and basic rights under the BN Government.
“We have lost our rights as every decision on policy had to go through the Federal Government,” he pointed out.
He said even if Pakatan Rakyat took over Putrajaya, Sabah must be governed by a local political party to ensure autonomy.
This is because as the only local opposition party in Sabah, SAPP better understands the issues faced by the locals, he said.
“If the people in Sabah are willing to support SAPP to govern the State in the next general election, our party vows to serve the people.
“What we need is an opportunity, to realise a better future for Sabah.”