Piasau rep slams gang attack on village chief

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MIRI: Piasau state assemblyman Alan Ling Sie Kiong has slammed the attack on a village chief, Tuai Rumah Jambai of Bekelit in Niah, by a group of gangsters on Thursday.

It is believed that the assault on Jambai was over a protest against the alleged encroachment by an oil palm plantation company on the villagers’ native customary rights (NCR) land in Bekelit, Niah.

In a press statement on Saturday, Ling, who is also DAP state secretary, urged Bukit Aman federal police headquarters to step in to help solve the long standing land dispute between the community in Bekelit and the plantation company.

“We learnt that the local community who have been embroiled in long standing land disputes with a plantation company there have somehow lost trust in the local police force, so we would like to call for Bukit Aman to step in,” Ling said.

In the statement, Ling also called on the police to carry out their investigation without fear or favour.

He further said no one should act violently and be confrontational by taking the law into their own hands.

“Whoever is wrong or right in the claim of the disputed land, it is best to be adjudged by way of law and let the law take its course,” he said.

However, Ling maintained that the state government has the duty to settle issues over NCR land, because very often the issuance of provisional lease (PL) to plantation companies resulted in encroachment into NCR territory and the companies would have an upper hand because of the PL.

“Whereas for rural folks, they are making claims based on customs and history without proper land title to safeguard actual ownership. This often resulted in weaker position in making the claim, that explains why rural folks have to resort to self help way of defending land, many may not be proper in the eyes of law but that is the predicament faced by the rural folks,” Ling argued.

He further stressed that PLs issued to companies must be revoked should there be claims of NCR on the concerned land, just like what had happened to Rumah Jambai.

Ling said DAP would assist with the case so that it would get the attention of the police headquarters.