Bawang Assan, Sg Lengan, Sg Tebelian longhouse folk stage peaceful protest against forest reserve takeover

1
Photo shows a part of the land where the plantation company is running its nursery.

Photo shows a part of the land where the plantation company is running its nursery.

SIBU: Residents of 20 longhouses in Bawang Assan, Sungai Lengan and Sungai Tebelian, who are claiming their rights of the Sungai Teras communal forest reserve, want the dispute with a plantation company to be resolved immediately.

According to longhouse folk’s spokesman Robert Jinga, the people wish the issue to be resolved in a quick and civilised manner; rather than having it drag on and potentially lead to untoward incidents such as that occurring at Ulu Sungai Arip in Ulu Balingian on Monday (Oct 24), where a man was killed and another injured during a land dispute.

“We do not want whatever happened at Ulu Sungai Arip to happen here.  That unfortunate incident should serve as an example for the Iban community to stay united in the event where outsiders are challenging our rights.

“This land is not only our birthplace and our life, but also that of our generations to come,” he told reporters during a peaceful demonstration at an oil palm plantation on KM36 section of the Sibu-Tanjung Manis Road yesterday.

Robert said the people only defended what they felt were their rights – those that had been passed down from their ancestors.

According to him, the dispute had been going on since 2013 and was brought to court in 2014 but till today, there has yet to be any outcome regarding the appeals and the people’s claims.

It is learned that the company had paid compensation of RM1,000 to each of the 394 affected households, but the residents felt that such amount was severely insufficient and highly unjustified if compared to the profits that the company would gain later on.

“The reason why we hold this demonstration is to raise the awareness to the people of their claim of rights,” he pointed out.

On this, Tuai Rumah Abell Mang concurred saying that they only wanted to defend their rights on the forest reserve.

He was also upset that despite having lodged a police report against the matter and the court case still on-going, he and fellow villagers could see that the company involved was still carrying out activities at the forest reserve.

Last year, the longhouse villagers filed a court injunction to stop the plantation company from carrying out further activities in the area.

“We also appeal to the government to not change the forest reserve (status) in state land,” Abell stressed.

According to another villager Dennis Ansam, the people have ‘black and white proof’ that the land in dispute belongs to the people of Bawang Assan, Sungai Lengan and Sungai Tebelian.

He claimed that the people had the rights to the communal reserve, based on Sarawak Government Gazette dated July 16, 1952.