Chong wants disclosure of purpose for Gita land acquisition

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KUCHING: State DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen has challenged the Land and Survey Department to state the exact purpose for acquiring the approximately 100 acres of land near Kampung Gita area instead of just using ‘urban development’ to justify the exercise.

In a press statement yesterday, Chong said the vague reason given showed that the government may not have an immediate concrete plan to develop the acquired land.

There is the possibility that the acquired land could be alienated to a third party for development for private profit after acquisition, he added.

“That is why the department cannot disclose the exact reason for acquisition of the said land.

For the department to give the reason of ‘urban development’ as the ground of the ‘public purpose’ to acquire land, that is most vague and unfair to the landowners,” he said.

Under the present Land Code, Chong explained that the word ‘public purpose’ include any development which in the opinion of the chief minister will bring economic or social benefits to the state and that such development can be carried out by any person, corporate or government agencies.

“In another word, land can be acquired by government and subsequently given to a third party, a private person or company for development into residential or commercial property for private profits. This is most unfair,” he added.

“If you have any plan for development for ‘real’ public purpose like building hospitals or schools, then make known such purpose. If this acquisition is so that the government will later alienate the land to some cronies for private profits, then this is an abuse of the power of the government to acquire land,” he said. Chong disclosed that the government had in fact attempted to acquire about 3,000 acres of land at Jalan Bako a few years back, also under the excuse of ‘urban development’.

After a huge protest by the landowners together with DAP representatives, it was exposed that the so-called ‘urban development’ was to build commercial and residential buildings for private profit.

“At that time, the number of landowners was large and the issue was exposed and pressed very hard during the 2010 Sibu by-elections and 2011 Sarawak Elections. In the end, the government, under pressure, cancelled the said acquisition and returned the land to the landowners,” he said.

Two days ago at his office, Chong pointed out that Parliament Research assistant of Stampin MP Kelvin Yii had met up with him and a few landowners of the land in Kampong Gita under the said acquisition exercise.

The landowners said their grouses were low compensation, denying the participation of landowners to benefit from the said ‘urban development’ and the Land and Survey Department has yet to disclose the sort of development that would be implemented on the land.

Although the present acquisition only affects approximately 100 acres of land, Chong said that if there was no strong opposition to such acquisition exercise, this modus operandi of ‘land-grabbing’ could be repeated for land in other areas.

“The present land acquisition is but a test of resistance. We should not allow it to go through, otherwise, all our land rights will be subject to such land-grabbing in future,” he added.

Chong and Yii together with the landowners will attend the inquiry to be held by the Land and Survey Department on April 16 and 17 when they will put forth their objection to the acquisition of their land.