FULL SUPPORT FOR SETTING UP NATIVE LAND TRIBUNAL

Proposed native land tribunal for BN committee – PBS

KOTA KINABALU Feb 2, 2012: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has expressed full support and plan to bring the proposed setting up of the native land tribunal to the Barisan Nasional committee on land issues chaired by the Chief Minister of Sabah for discussion and recommendation to the State Government.

PBS secretary general Datuk Henrynus Amin (pic left) said the idea of a native land tribunal is very good and the party expects its implementation by the relevant authorities.

“BN Sabah has identified land issues as one of its priorities with the Chief Minister himself now taking the lead to find solution,” said Henrynus when commenting on the proposal of a native land tribunal by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Richard Malanjum (pic right), during the Symposium on Sabah Native Land Rights at Universiti Malaysia Sabah on Monday.

Henrynus said PBS is fully aware and sympathetic to the numerous cases of unresolved land dispute between villagers and big companies where illiterate and ignorant villagers may have lost their native land to big companies through fraudulent means.

“There were cases where villagers were being duped into selling their land or forced to sign unfair agreement by unscrupulous land brokers who then resell agricultural land to land developers at higher prices.”

He said PBS is seriously looking into cases where illegal syndicates actively applying for native land without title and without the knowledge of the unsuspecting land owners who may have fully developed their land under native customer rights (NCR).

He added the numerous reports of victims of these syndicates who cheated native land owners of their property simply boggled the mind.

In most cases, aggrieved villagers or native land owners have no means to get legal redress as they could not afford the hefty legal fee, he said.

“Though there were some legal assistance rendered by NGOs or in some cases politically motivated lawyers in the past, the long process and cost of traveling back and forth to Kota Kinabalu have deterred them from pursuing their case,” he said.

“As a result, the vast majority of aggrieved villagers or native land owners simply had no access to legal assistance.”

Henrynus said the proposed native land tribunal should provide aggrieved native land owners or NCR owners with an easy and affordable venue to seek legal redress in their land dispute in the same way as house buyers or consumers can get legal redress for their problems.

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Kerajaan alu-alukan penubuhan tribunal NCR

MUSA (tengah) memberi penerangan kepada pengamal media dalam sidang akhbar sejurus Taklimat Pejabat Pembangunan Persekutuan (SDO) Negeri di Wisma Innoprise kelmarin.

KOTA KINABALU Feb 1, 2012: Kerajaan Negeri mengalu-alukan cadangan menubuhkan tribunal atau suruhanjaya bagi menyelesaikan masalah melibatkan tanah adat di sini, kata Ketua Menteri, Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman.

Beliau berkata, pihaknya sentiasa menerima cadangan-cadangan bernas bagi memperkasakan sistem perundangan di negeri Sabah di samping mengutamakan kebajikan rakyat jelata.

“Kita sambut baik cadangan untuk menubuhkan tribunal bagi menyelesaikan isu-isu tanah adat di negeri ini memandangkan ia belum lagi diwujudkan.

“Seperti yang anda semua tahu, kerajaan negeri melaksanakan program perintis pemilikan tanah secara bersama yang memberi peluang kepada penduduk tiada tanah untuk memiliki sebidang tanah.

“Mereka kemudian akan dibantu dari segi pembangunan infrastruktur dan peluang perniagaan bagi meningkatkan taraf hidup.

“Apa yang penting, bersetuju idea berkenaan mampu memberi penyelesaian terbaik terhadap isu-isu berkaitan tanah adat di negeri ini,” katanya ketika mempengerusikan Taklimat Pejabat Pembangunan Persekutuan (SDO) Negeri di Wisma Innoprise kelmarin.

Musa berkata demikian kepada pemberita ketika mengulas cadangan Ketua Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Sabah dan Sarawak, Tan Sri Richard Malanjum berhubung mengwujudkan tribunal tanah Hak Adat Pribumi (NCR) di Sabah.

Dalam pada itu, beliau turut berkata pihaknya bersedia mempertimbangkan cadangan Malanjum itu yang bertujuan menyediakan alternatif kepada penduduk untuk menyelesaikan pertikaian berhubung tanah pribumi.