Wong (seated, centre) and his committee members at the press conference.
SIBU: The Rantau Panjang Land Rights Committee (RPLRC) hopes that the Sarawak government, under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, would look into an issue concerning the handover of 250 acres of land for a major project.
According to RPLRC chairman Wong Kwong Toh, the said land is meant for the second phase of Rantau Panjang Integrated Shipbuilding Industries Development Plan.
“The government (through Land and Survey Department) took more than 200 acres of land for this development in April this year, and this land was not meant for a public infrastructure.
“According to Sarawak Land Code Section 49, the government must give away compensatory money immediately to the land owners. But until now, the Land and Survey Department has yet to take any action.
“As RPLRC chairman, I have repeatedly negotiated with high-ranking Land and Survey officials, but the feedback remains the same – either the compensatory money has yet to be disbursed, or simply that they have yet to receive any directive from their ‘boss’,” said Wong during a press conference here yesterday.
Photo shows the affected land owners staging a protest.
He also said his committee held an earlier consultation meeting regarding the matter with Sibu Land and Survey Department on Feb 19 this year.
“It has been nearly six months, but still there is no news about compensation for the land owners.”
Wong said as the handover of land was done in accordance with Sarawak Land Code Section 49, immediate compensation should follow suit, and there must not be any delay.
“All this while, we have been giving full support to the GPS-led government.
“Thus, I hope that our beloved Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg would give sympathetic consideration to our appeal, give what is due to the people and settle this issue in a win-win manner,” he said.