HEADLINES :

style="text-transform: uppercase;">Kota Kinabalu: KOTA KINABALU: State Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Edward Yong reminded relevant quarters that no one is allowed to occupy and build private structures on lands that had been designated as Open Space.

Explaining the move by City Hall to issue a compound and one-week eviction notice to people who illegally occupied a 0.6 acre open space in Kolombong, he said the open space involved in this case was originally from a Native Title (NT) land which had been sub-divided previously.

"Now the squatters have encroached into the said open space. There are about 50 to 60 illegal dwelling structures built there which will be demolished. Under the term Open Space, it cannot be for private use," he said, when met at his office in City Hall.

"It cannot be used even by City Hall for its private use, as it meant for public use like green lung, playground, balai raya (community hall) and so on, i.e. for public common use.

"Even if you submit an application for the said land to City Hall and relevant government agency it will not be entertained as it is designated as an open space," he said.

A City Hall enforcement team led by Mohd Izzat went to the site and met with the squatters before issuing the compound and eviction notice on Wednesday.

Mohd Izzat told the occupants that it was illegal for them to erect a building on an open space. The occupants claimed they had done nothing wrong since it was an open space which in Malay they interpreted as "kawasan terbuka" or "free for anyone to occupy and build a house".

A check showed the application by the squatters concerned and three others for the land had been revoked by the Kota Kinabalu Assistant Collector of Land Revenue (ACLR) on July 3 this year because it is a designated open space.

City Hall gave them a week to remove the structure or risk being taken to court where they could be ordered to pay RM100 for each day the structure is not removed. The compound was issued under By-Law 2 (1) for erecting structures without approval.

It is understood that many parts of the State are occupied by people, some of whom are believed to be foreigners who acquired MyKad and believe they have the right to make a claim for the land after several years of occupying it.