IN THE LAND OF THE BLIND, THE ONE-EYED MAN IS KING

Di Sebalik Bayang-Bayang Sebuah Negeri Di Malaysia

Inside Malaysia's Shadow State

--------------

Taib Mahmud's reponse to Global Witness film - 19.03.2013

"MANY ALARM BELLS WERE SOUNDED BY SABAHANS OVER THE DECADES BUT KUALA LUMPUR NEVER WOKE UP UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE,"

The alarm bells were sounded long ago: SAPP

Kota Kinabalu 14/03/2013: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) said Sabahans have sounded the alarm bells for decades about the threat posed by illegal immigrants in Sabah but that it was Kuala Lumpur that seemed nonchalant about it.

Hence, the statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak describing the Sulu intrusion into Sabah as a wake-up call is already too late because serious damage had already been inflicted on Sabah, said its President, Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee.

"Many alarm bells were sounded by Sabahans over the decades but Kuala Lumpur never woke up until it is too late,"

"AGREEING TO THE CONDITION WILL MEAN INDIRECT FEDERALISATION OF STATE LAND,"

Red tape traced to Rais' Ministry

Kota Kinabalu 9/11/2012: The red tape that is hampering Sabah's efforts in getting World Heritage Site status for the Maliau Basin, Imbak Canyon and Danum Valley is on the part of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Arts and Information headed by Datuk Seri Yais Yatim.

Daily Express understands that while Sabah is trying very hard to push for the status, the Director General of the Heritage Council under the Ministry had declared she would only endorse it if the State is agreeable to placing these Sabah environment icons under their administration and management upon listing.

Sources in the know said that the State Government vehemently opposed the suggestion because this would be going against the Malaysia Agreement, in particular the stipulation that land is a state matter and one that is very sensitive.

"Agreeing to the condition will mean indirect federalisation of State land,"

LAND TENURE CAN BE RENEWED – CM

Land tenure can be renewed – CM

KOTA KINABALU 24/10/2012: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman assured housing developers that the government would not lease out the land belonging to them to other parties.

He also said there was no difference in the land tenure, whether 99 years or 999 years, as renewals could be approved for as long as the present government remained.

“Such negative perception should be changed as both figures do not make any difference.

“Although the tenure is expected to end within 20 or 10 years, the government can renew the period as the land belongs to the people, not the government,”

DISPUTE OVER 6,000 ACRES TIME BOMB FOR BN – SUKAU ASSEMBLYMAN

Dispute over 6,000 acres time bomb for BN – Sukau assemblyman

23/10/2012: LONGSTANDING dispute over 6,000 acres of land in Sungai Koyah, Sukau could spell trouble for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming general elections, according to BN backbencher Datuk Saadi Abdul Rahman.

He said the villagers affected were beyond frustration after the authority concerned left them in the lurch for years, and may resort to giving their votes to the opposition if the government failed to intervene urgently to return their land.

GOVERNMENT LOOKING AFTER, PRESERVING AND PROTECTING INTEREST OF NATIVES – CM

Government looking after, preserving and protecting interest of natives – CM

KOTA KINABALU 23/10/2012: Top priority is given in tackling the right of ownership on Native Customary Rights (NCR) land and to find the best solutions to problems to protect the interest of the natives.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said every NCR claim received by the government would be studied as deeply as possible to confirm its legitimacy.

“I will ensure priority will be given to looking after, preserving and protecting the interest of the natives,”

ADDRESS FUNDAMENTAL NCR ISSUES BEFORE LAUNCHING UNIT – PACOS

Address fundamental NCR issues before launching unit – PACOS

KOTA KINABALU 22/10/2012: PACOS Trust is concerned with the newly established ‘Unit Pantas NCR’ (Native Customary Rights Fast Unit) system as it ignores the original concept of communal titles which should be about empowering communities to own and manage their own land as they see fit.

“Imagine if you and your neighbours share all the land in the housing estate you live in but the person who decides how the land is used, what is planted, or who can enter is decided by someone else who is not even from your housing estate and not familiar with your needs,” explained Anne Lasimbang, Executive Director of PACOS Trust.

400 PENDUDUK TUNTUT HAK PEMILIKAN TANAH DI SUNGAI KOYAH A

400 penduduk tuntut hak pemilikan tanah di Sungai Koyah A

SANDAKAN 12/10/2012: Seramai 400 orang pemilik tanah di Sungai Koyah A Fasa I, II dan II di bawah Skim Pekebun Kecil di Kinabatangan menuntut hak ke atas pemilikan tanah yang didakwa sudah diluluskan oleh jabatan berkaitan tetapi sehingga ke hari ini mereka masih belum memperolehi geran akibat berlaku penyelewengan yang didalangi pihak-pihak tertentu.

Dalam satu sidang akhbar di sini, petang kelmarin pemilik tanah termasuk pewarisnya sebulat suara mahu hak pemilikan terhadap tanah yang berkeluasan 6,000 ekar itu dikembalikan kepada mereka atau mengambil tindakan untuk merujuk kepada suruhanjaya bebas bagi menyiasat kes tuntutan sekiranya tidak juga dapat diselesaikan.

GIVE LAND FOR SMALLHOLDER DEVT – DOMPOK

Give land for smallholder devt – Dompok

PENAMPANG 1/10/2012: Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok yesterday urged the relevant agency in Sabah to speed up the survey of land and the issuance of land titles to applicants.

According to him, he had been approached many times by farmers who complained that they had made their land applications for some time but had never received the land title nor had the land been surveyed by the relevant agency.

“I ask those (the relevant agency) to improve this. Give them grant to the land they have applied for or at least get the land surveyed so that my ministry can help these smallholders,” he said.

NCR VERY MUCH ALIVE IN SABAH – MAIJOL

NCR very much alive in Sabah – Maijol

KOTA KINABALU 30/09/2012: Deputy chairman and legal adviser to Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) Senator Datuk Maijol Mahap has maintained that the law regulating Native Customary Right (NCR) is very much alive in the state.

The former UPKO vice president and chairman of the party’s legal bureau said that the law on NCR in Sabah still subsists until today.

He pointed out that NCR was never repealed by the Land Ordinance 1930 and that the provisions of Sections 13-16 of the existing Sabah Land Ordinance clearly affirm that NCR laws are still very much alive in Sabah.

SLA DIFFERS WITH DIRECTOR ON NCR

SLA differs with director on NCR

KOTA KINABALU 28/09/2012: The Sabah Law Association (SLA) is of the view that treating claims on customary land beyond the 1930 Land Ordinance as new land applications does not represent the state of Native Customary Rights (NCR) law.

SLA sub-committee on Native Laws Custom and Culture chairman Datuk John Sikayun said when commenting on the recent statement made by the Director of Land and Survey Department that claims of customary land beyond the 1930 Land Ordinance will be not included under the NCR but shall instead be treated as new land applications.

GROUP SEEKS CONFIRMATION NCR LAND CLAIMS NOT ENTERTAINED AFTER 1930

Group seeks confirmation NCR land claims not entertained after 1930

KOTA KINABALU 27/09/2012: A group of natives is seeking confirmation from the State Attorney General and the Director of Sabah Lands and Surveys Department whether only native customary rights (NCR) claims that existed prior to 1930 would be entertained and determined.

Rambilin Bte Ambit and 18 others through their counsel Datuk Kong Hong Ming, also seek confirmation whether the Department of Lands and Surveys Sabah entertains and determines NCR claims that existed after 1930.

They also want to know whether the NCR claims over land that had been alienated and issued with land titles by the department would be entertained and determined.

CLAIMS AFTER 1930 DON'T COME UNDER NCR: DEPT

Claims after 1930 don't come under NCR: Dept

Kota Kinabalu September 26, 2012: Claims of customary land beyond the 1930 Land Ordinance will not be included under Native Customary Rights (NCR) but opened and treated as new land applications.

Land and Survey Department Director Datuk Osman Jamal said the limit of the NCR claim has been effected by Section 5, 6(1) and 88 of the Sabah Land Ordinance (SLO), whose meaning many parties have wrongly defined.

"In these three sections beginning December 13, 1930, Government land and reserves in this State will be handed its full rights to the government.

SPECIAL UNIT ON NCR LAND SOON

Special unit on NCR land soon

KOTA KINABALU September 26, 2012: A special unit, the first of its kind in the country, will be set up soon as part of the Sabah Land and Survey Department’s outreach programme for rural and interior folk in the state.

Dubbed the ‘Unit Pantas NCR’, or Native Customary Rights Fast Unit, it is expected to be officially launched in November.

“We realise the problems faced by the rural and interior folk who have to come to our office to settle land matters, which sometimes take days. It means costs for them to travel all the way from the village to the city. So instead of them coming to us, we will go out and meet them. This will save them a lot of time and money,”

KIMANIS VILLAGERS UPSET OVER ALLEGED ENCROACHMENT

Kimanis villagers upset over alleged encroachment

KOTA KINABALU September 23, 2012: Villagers in Kampung Ulu Sawatan, Kimanis have claimed that the lands they had applied for and had developed for 35 years have fallen unjustly into the hands of others.

“Previous generations of our family have been exploring the lands for more than 35 years  before the land application was made in the early 80′s.

500 NATIVES STORM POLICE STATION

500 natives storm police station

Sarawak police raided a village and detained five people whose names were not even in the report filed by a plantation company for allegedly burning a bridge.

KUCHING August 16, 2012: Some 500 angry villagers with their children from Melikin and nearby longhouses in Serian and Simunjan stormed the Serian police station yesterday, demanding the release of five individuals who were detained on Sunday night for allegedly causing a fire.

The villagers learnt that the five – Sanjan Ambol, 58, Musit Ngawing, 52, Tuai Rumah Nyalu Tampa, 55, Samad Junna, 41, and Singa Unsit, 58, – were to be charged at the Serian district court. All five were villagers from Melikin, Danau Melikin and Ensebang Plaie.

SPEED UP PROCESSING OF LAND APPLICATIONS – DOMPOK

Speed up processing of land applications – Dompok

KENINGAU July 20, 2012: Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok Dompok requested the state government to speed up the processing of land applications and the issuance of titles to the people to enable them to participate in worthwhile programmes.

“I have discussed with the Chief Minister on land application status.

“The state government fears overlapping applications and it is for that reason that the cultivation of any crop including oil palm is disallowed,” he clarified, adding that the issuance of titles would boost the effort of eradicating poverty and improving the economy of the rural poor.

SOOK VILLAGERS CLAIM LOSING LAND TO PRIVATE FIRM

Sook villagers claim losing land to private firm

KENINGAU July 18, 2012: More than 500 people from a village in Sook claimed that they are in danger of losing their land to a private firm.

The villagers in Karamotoi Tengah/Angkawangan are also disappointed that their efforts for decades to apply for the title and native rights to the land were never approved, and now a private company appeared to have its rights to the land.

Rauni Gambar, 52, said residents in the area had already occupied the village in the 1930′s, where Malaysia was not even established.

15,390 CIVIL SERVANTS FROM PENINSULA IN SABAH

15,390 civil servants from peninsula in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU July 17, 2012: As many as 15,390 public service officers and staff from Peninsular Malaysia are currently working in 94 federal departments and 42 statutory bodies in the state.

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, Datuk Radin Malleh said the department with the biggest number of these individuals was the Sabah Education Department with 8,152 last year.

Radin said on average, 7,500 to 8,500 civil servants from the peninsula were sent to Sabah each year, for the last five years.

LANDMARK DECISION

LANDMARK DECISION

Musa with his three deputies (from left) Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, Datuk Yahya Hussin and Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan

KOTA KINABALU 17th July, 2012: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman said the reason why the State Government pushed forward with the landmark decision on the amendment to the land enactment involving KK waterfront was to make it difficult for others in the future to easily reclaim the area in question.

He also said the protection of Kota Kinabalu’s waterfront from further reclamation was for the future generation.

“We have seen what was done in the past…precious, prime waterfront land given away indiscriminately to quarters with vested interest,”