Govt to return village lands
Published on: Friday, August 16, 2019
By: Hayati Dzulkifli
Shafie (second from right) receiving the membership forms.
PAPAR: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the State Government will return back to the communities long existing village settlement lands in areas which were gazetted by the previous administration as State/forest reserves.He said he had directed the State Forestry Department and Lands and Surveys Department to carry out a thorough study on the matter, including identifying the affected village lands, before returning them to the respective communities.
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“Several areas which the previous administration had gazetted as State/forest reserves have village settlements occupying and existing for 40 to 50 years.
“We (the new State Government) will revoke the gazette so that those village lands can be returned and owned by the rightful communities/villagers.
“We will not develop these (village) lands and, instead, give them back to the rightful people in accordance to the laws,” he told reporters after receiving some 3,000 new Warisan membership forms from former Umno Papar vice chief, Datuk Juil Nuatim, at Kg Biau, here, Thursday.
Shafie said a Bill on this would be tabled at the State Legislative Assembly for the sake of the people’s interests and rights.
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“There is no problem for us because we have no plan or intention to bring out village settlement lands from State/forest reserves and give them to private companies, which was the practice of the previous state government.
“For example, a water catchment was brought out from a First Class Forest Reserve by the previous government where within less than two to three months, the land was given to a private company to be developed for gold mining,” said Shafie.
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He, however, pointed out that only those villages that are proven to have existed for 40 to 50 years in State/forest reserves would benefit from the move.
“Any newly created village land/settlement will not be entertained,” he said.
“The move includes village lands/settlements in areas belonging to government-linked companies (GLCs). These lands will be reviewed and if the villagers have rights to occupy the lands and they fulfil the criteria, the lands will be returned to them,” he added.
In another development, Shafie, who is also Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) President, said the party is the backbone of the new State Government as it holds the biggest number of State and parliamentary seats.
Nevertheless, he said, it did not take advantage by taking all representations in the governance of the State as DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) also received a share of posts in the State Cabinet.
“Although we (Warisan) have more seats than the other parties, we did not take all. For instance, Sabah DAP has been given two full Minister posts in the State Cabinet, while Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has one post of Deputy Chief Minister.
“The concept that we want is that the existing strong co-operation among Warisan, Upko, PKR and DAP would ensure the governance of Sabah at State and federal level could be further strengthened and to help the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in the peninsula,” he said.
Meanwhile, Juil, who is also KDM Malaysia Deputy President, said the 3,000 new members were from 38 branches of various component parties under Barisan Nasional (BN), with most of them from Umno Papar.
He said they joined Warisan as they believed a local-based party could serve better serve their needs and rights.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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