(From sixth left) Ding, Penguang, Kalang and other Long Sepiling folk during the dialogue session yesterday.
MIRI: The 56 families in Long Sepiling whose native customary rights (NCR) land are affected by Provisional Lease (PL) issued in early 2000 have been advised to decide on the best of several options to resolve the matter.
The options were presented to them by Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil during a dialogue yesterday with representatives of the affected families, led by Ketua Kaum Ding Ajang.
“My duty as the elected representative is to help and assist the local community to resolve their land issues – lands which have been issued inside PL and those that created conflicts among them,” Penguang, who is Marudi assemblyman, said when met after the dialogue.
Also present during the dialogue was PBB Marudi chief Kalang Jok.
Penguang pointed out that the Long Sepiling folks involved in the matter have shown evidence that the land within the PL belonged to them.
“They showed me their rubber trees, which are about 40 to 50 years old. Those are just the rubber trees, I believe that there are more (evidence) there,” he said.
In view of this, he advised the families to provide all the documentary evidence as well as gather oral evidence from their elders, and submit them to him so that he can forward them to the relevant committee.
“I have formed the N.76 NCR Land Development Committee to help my constituents find ways and means to resolve their land issues.
“When I say land issues, I mean those land which have been issued with PL and so on. We also assist land owners to apply for perimeter survey to be done on their NCR land as well as advise or assist them to apply for perimeter survey over their Pemakai Menoa and Pulau Galau land,” he explained.
Penguang stressed that his role, in the event of conflicts between locals and companies, is to find out the various options which are win-win to both parties.
He said one of the options for the affected Long Sepiling families is to go into a joint-venture with the company where they will be given certain shares.
“I advised them not to go for profit-sharing because the approach is a disadvantage to the locals. I’m sorry to say, but a company could manipulate its accounts and declare it is making a loss every time,” he remarked.
He said another option is to have the balance of the land developed by the company and then returned back to the community.
“If the locals agree for the company to take certain acres of land, they can get the company to allocate four or five acres to each longhouse in that community.
“This means that the company will do all the necessary land preparation such as clearing and planting of oil palm trees, before handing them back over to the locals. This part of the land will belong to the locals.”
He pointed out that the other extreme option is for the community to allow the company to take their NCR land in exchange for compensation.
However, he said doing so would mean they would lose their rights to the land.
“These are the options I gave them. I cannot make any decision for them, but I gave them these options. I laid them on the table and it is now up to the people to negotiate with the developer,” he added.
Penguang also advised those at the dialogue to go back to Long Sepiling and to discuss among themselves what the best option is for them. He also stressed the importance of keeping everything properly recorded for ease of future reference.