Awang Tengah: Tell your problems to elected reps

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LAND COMPENSATION: Awang Tengah presents a land compensation cheque to a physically challenged 77-year-old Mahdi Entali, being helped by a staff of Land and Survey Department. At second right is Aboi.

BETONG: The people are urged to seek assistance from their elected representatives and government agencies when facing land disputes instead of seeking assistance from the opposition, says Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan.

He said that only through the proper channels could land disputes be properly addressed and eventually solved.

“When facing any land disputes, the people should see their elected representatives who can assist them to solve their problems,” said Awang Tengah when handing over compensation money and the handing over of Bumiputera Community Land Reserve deeds at Dewan Tan Sri Datuk Amar Stephen Kalong Ningkan here yesterday.

He said if they were to tell their problems to the opposition, it would only create more confusion for them.

“They (the opposition) will only want to assist for political mileage. At the end of the day it’s still the government which will finally help them

Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Public Utilities, added that the people here should be thankful to Dato Sri Douglas Uggah their MP for getting federal funding to carry out the perimeter survey of their Native Customary Right (NCR) land.

Awang Tengah and Uggah are both senior vice-presidents of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

“Last year, he (Uggah) assisted in getting RM20 million from the federal government, and this year, he has again assisted us in getting RM30 million to carry out the perimeter survey, which is in fact
an on-going exercise,” he said.

He said since last year, 191 areas involving some 349,476 hectares had been approved for (perimeter) survey.

However, only 79 areas involving 55,139 hectares have so far been surveyed, he said.

“And since last year, 25 areas totaling 7,325 hectares have been gazetted,” he added.

Awang Tengah also reminded the people that the government would only acquire their land based on the market price if they were needed for development purposes.

At the function, Awang Tengah handed over compensation money amounting to RM1.78 million to 200 land owners.

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Land and Survey Department of Betong Division, Anthony Aboi, disclosed that since 2008 the government had compensated some 1,845 landowners to the tune of RM11 million.

Also present at the function were Bukit Saban assemblyman Robert Lawson Chuat, Beting Maro assemblyman Razaili Gapor, Saribas assemblyman Mohd Razi Sitam and Betong Resident Datu Romie Sigan Daniel.