Villagers compounded for trespassing own ancestral land

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KOTA KINABALU: A group of villagers from Kampung Sayap in Kota Belud have cried foul over the claim by Sabah Parks that they have trespassed into the park’s land.

They have also expressed regret over the fact that the Sabah Parks had issued them with notices of compound purportedly for an offence committed.

The group, comprising 12 farmers, said they received the notice of compound on June 14 and were shocked beyond comprehension as the land on which they have planted hill padi and agricultural crops were inherited from their ancestors.

“Our fore-fathers have toiled on these land and we are just continuing with what they have done all this while to earn a living for our family. So why has the Sabah Parks decided to compound us?”a spokesperson for the group, Manjadi Molondoi, said.

According to him, when they met with the Sabah Parks officials to get a clarification, they gave them a whole lot of excuses as to why they were now trespassing on its lands and not in the past.

“We are utterly disappointed with the Sabah Parks as we consider the land our ancestral land. In fact, in the past, we have been very cooperative with the Sabah Parks and had even voluntarily helped put out a forest fire which broke out in the Sabah Parks area in 1997.

“We have also set up an environmental protection committee to curb settlers from coming in and opening up new areas, illegal logging, and‘gaharu’harvesting among others. But today, we have been accused of trespassing on our own lands. If they take our rights away, how are supposed to continue living?

“Do they want to see us to turn to a life of crime, become beggars or vagrants? We are only maintaining our rights as the‘original’ settlers in Kampung Sayap and we should be allowed the freedom to live without threats or disturbances from any quarters,” he stressed.

The villagers are now seeking help from the government, especially Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, to resolve this issue.

Yesterday morning, the 12 affected villagers lodged a report at the Kota Belud police station to protest against the compound issued by the Sabah Parks.