Pitas villagers’ NCR must be protected

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Arlinsia (blue mask) presenting the boat engine, food basket and cash contribution to Mastupang.

KOTA KINABALU: The survival of the remaining 1,000 acres of mangrove forest in Pitas will be brought to the attention of the government.

“The villagers here who depend on the mangroves for their livelihood, are hoping that the government will issue an official declaration that these 1,000 acres of mangroves will not be disturbed and will be preserved in their current state.

“After visiting the area and seeing the impact of the devastation of the 2,300 acres of mangrove forest nearby, I have a better understanding of why the villagers have fought so hard to protect their NCR.

“I have always read about this issue in the press, but seeing the real situation on the ground is completely different than just reading about it from the comfort of one’s own home,” said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s political secretary Arlinsia Agang.

Arlinsia said she will present her findings to Kitingan and propose that the villagers’ concerns be addressed, particularly since they have been fighting for their rights for so long.

She emphasised that environmental destruction, which has created imbalance in the ecosystem, is endangering the people’s livelihood and has also desecrated the indigenous peoples’ sacred ground.

“At the same time, I applaud the mindset of the people here, especially the leaders. I’m impressed by how well-organised they are. Many times, our people are divided not because of a lack of funds, but because of a lack of good leadership. However, I don’t see that problem here,” she said.

During the half-day trip, Arlinsia who was there on Kitingan’s behalf, presented a boat engine for use by the Group of Six (G6), the indigenous communities from six villages impacted by the clearing of the mangrove forest. She also presented food baskets for the poor and handed over monetary contribution for the repair of the G6 learning centre’s roof.

Later, she was taken on a two-hour boat trip along the mangrove forests, overlooking the prawn farm, which has ceased operation since July last year, allegedly due to a lack of business caused by the pandemic.

Meanwhile, G6 chairman Mastupang Somoi said in his welcome address he is pleased that a government representative had finally visited their village and listened to their concern.

“We submitted two memorandums to the previous governments demanding that the prawn farm project contractor refrain from encroaching on our NCR.

“The best we could get was a verbal promise from the government through the media that the farm’s expansion would be halted, but no formal declaration.

“We will not be able to relax until the government makes an official declaration that it will not extend the project to a further 1,000 acres,” he said.

Mastupang said as a fishing community, the people have suffered because their only source of protein has been significantly depleted due to the extensive clearing of mangrove habitat.

He said the remaining 1,000 acres are also home to their traditional foraging grounds and sacred sites, and that if the area is lost, it will also mean the death of their traditions and the loss of their source of income.

“But I am delighted with today’s visit, and I hope it marks the beginning of a new era in which the voice of our people is finally heard by the authority,” he concluded.