KOTA KINABALU: Putatan Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh has assured disgruntled land owners in the district whose land had been acquired for the Pan Borneo Highway project that they will receive their compensation.
“Definitely they will get paid. I can guarantee you that they will get paid as Under Section 3 of the Land Ordinance, the contractors can do their work even if the compensation has not been paid,” he said.
Mojigoh said this when asked about some disgruntled landowners who have cried foul at the highway contractor and sub-contractors who have started to clear their land before the compensation letter is issued.
“The contractors can move. This is the government of the day, people want development and they want to see transformation here. Don’t worry about that,” he said.
Mojigoh claimed that the opposition has been fanning the issue and making the landowners distrustful of the BN government.
“The issue is played by the opposition. Those who made the claim are supported by the opposition. I would advise the contractor to go ahead because after all Section 3 of the Land Ordinance applies.
“Whether they (landownders) like it or not the land will still be acquired by the government and they will be paid accordingly, at the current market value. There is a fund for the compensation so the rakyat should not be worried about it,” he said.
Mojigoh also alleged that the individual behind this is a former government officer who has joined an opposition party.
“We want to give them the project, they create problems, we don’t give them projects, they accuse the wakil rakyat of sleeping,” he lamented.
Mojigoh who was met during his annual Chinese New Year walkabout in Putatan town yesterday, pointed out that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has given a lot of allocation to Sabah and Sarawak for development.
“This is the Prime Minister we have been waiting for – he is the best PM for Sabah and Sarawak who is doing his best to narrow the development gap between the Borneo states and its counterparts in the Peninsular.
“We want the same development status as the Peninsular Malaysia, what is the meaning of 1Malaysia if we are behind in development. So we want to bring development here and the rakyat must understand the situation.
“The Prime Minister is listening to us as there are so many issues that we want to voice to him and he is always ready to listen,” he said.
Mojigoh also reminded the government that the police station and fire station in Putatan have yet to be built.
“I hope it is not just an empty promise as the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar promised that the fire station would be completed in April this year.
“Please do it now as the people have been waiting for it,” he said and also reminded the leaders from Peninsular Malaysia to refrain from making statements of racist nature that will offend the people of Sabah.