Kuala Lumpur: A top-ranking senior law enforcement officer, holding the title of 'Datuk', is being investigated for allegedly offering "protection services" to a real estate company which allegedly seized 787 hectares (about 4,000 acres) of oil palm plantations belonging to smallholders in Kunak, Sabah. In exchange for his "services", the company, which is also involved in money lending, has reportedly given the officer kickbacks and other benefits, including offering its company's shares. The shares, it is learnt, are under the names of his nominees and it is also learnt that some Sabah Land and Survey Department's senior officers might be linked in the scandal.
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It was learnt that the Sabah Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) had taken all files related to the plantation land from the Sabah Land and Survey Department to determine the alleged involvement of the officer. When contacted, Sabah ACA Director, Latifah Md Yatim confirmed that the agency had begun a probe into the land issue.
"We have begun investigations and are seriously looking into the matter and gathering the relevant information," she said.However, she declined to comment on the involvement of the said officer, who is in his 50's.
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In early January, the company concerned was said to have employed more than 100 illegal immigrants to seize the land worth about RM40 million. Using attack dogs, samurai swords and shotguns, the foreigners muscled their way into the oil palm plantations in Kampung Tingkayu and prevented 171 smallholders from entering the land, which they had toiled for the past 23 years.
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The thugs stay in makeshift huts to carry out 24-hour patrols to guard the entrance to the plantations.More than 40 police reports were lodged between January and March this year at the Kunak police station and numerous letters were sent to the Sabah Land and Survey Department, but until today, the plight of the smallholders remains unchanged.One of the affected smallholders, who wished to be known as Lee, 56, said roads leading to their plantations were illegally diverted and iron chain perimeter fences were put up to prevent them from entering their own plantations."The illegal immigrants use scare tactics - they fire warning shots with their shotguns, brandish samurai swords and spears and threaten to unleash the attack dogs on us. "When we tell them that we have restraining orders from the court, they mock us by saying their bosses have the funds to even buy the courts. In the same breath, the thugs tell us we could enter our land and harvest the crops, but on condition we pay them RM50 for every tonne of the harvested crops," he said.Lee claimed that when reports were lodged against the thugs at the Kunak police station, the police officers did not entertain the smallholders and often advised them not to waste their time.
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In one incident, Lee said a thug threatened a smallholder by training his shotgun at his forehead and a sword to his abdomen - for failing to take instructions from them. "They are dictating to us what to do on our own land. We want the State Government and the police to rescue us from this nightmare," he said here Tuesday. - Bernama
