Kota Kinabalu: Some 63 per cent of squatter homes in Sabah have yet to be demolished.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said 3,542 notices have been issued to squatter homes that have not yet been demolished. These homes are expected to be demolished by end of July or in August.
“Of the total number of notices issued, 1,332 houses have been demolished, as of Tuesday (July 9). This means approximately 63 per cent of houses that received notices are not yet demolished.
“Kota Kinabalu has the highest number of demolitions, with over 200 houses demolished, followed by Kota Marudu with 160 houses and Semporna (138 houses).
“As of now, there are only five districts out of the total 20 police districts where operations have not yet been conducted. The five are Keningau, Sipitang, Beluran, Papar and Tenom,” he told a press conference at the Sabah Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK) in Kepayan, here.
Jauteh said following the completion of the category C squatter operation, the operations for categories B and A will proceed.
“For category C, we expect squatter settlements with fewer than 100 houses; category B involves settlements with 100 to 200 houses and category A with more than 200 houses.
“We are implementing these operations in stages, starting with smaller or less settlements,” he said.
However, Jauteh said the operations were carried out in accordance with Sabah law, including giving advance notice to the slum dwellers.
“We are conducting the demolition in strict accordance with the law. Rather than immediate demolition, we first issue notices to the affected houses to notify them of their status and to allow them time to prepare.
“Sometimes, we issue notices twice. The first notice provides a 14-day period, followed by a second notice for another 14-day period.
“Our approach is guided by state laws, ensuring compliance without unnecessary aggression in our operations,” he said.
“Through the operations, several issues can be addressed, beyond crime, including the current problems related to water and electricity theft.
“Firstly, we can resolve issues of encroachment on government or private land, which often harbour criminal activities such as drug abuse and hiding criminals.
“Additionally, we can address the problems of water and electricity theft, as well as improve hygiene conditions in Sabah. Currently, many squatter homes are littered with rubbish,” he said.
