Wong (seated centre) with lawyer Ignatius Lau (seated left) and the landowners at the press conference.
SIBU: Landowners in Rantau Panjang are not against the acquisition of their land for development, but insist on getting reasonable compensation.
“We always support the Sarawak government in its effort to spearhead the economic growth in Sibu.
“We are happy if the land acquired from us can contribute to the well-being of Sarawak,” Rantau Panjang Landowners’ Rights Committee chairman Wong Kwong Toh told a press conference here yesterday.
“It is normal in commercial transactions that buying and selling is negotiated well to benefit both parties.”
Wong called for the press conference to response to a statement of Sibu United Chinese Association (UCA) president Ngieng Ping Sing that he might approach Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan should the Sarawak government face undue pressure from the affected landowners at Rantau Panjang over the acquisition of their land for the expansion of the shipbuilding estate.
Ngieng reportedly said he might suggest to the deputy chief minister to have an alternative site in Paloh.
For the record, the government gazetted 250 acres of land in Rantau Panjang in November last year for the extension of the shipbuilding estate.
The compensation offered was between RM90,000 and RM120,000 per acre, which the landowners felt was too low since the land would not be used for building public infrastructure.
Wong said the landowners would respond positively if their land were acquired for the construction of public amenities such as roads, hospitals, and schools.
He said the landowners were now putting their hope in the wisdom of the government, which they believed was open minded and had the ears to hear the people’s voice.