Community leaders battling prospects of losing their villages

25th March, 2015

By MARUTIN ANSIUNG

KENINGAU: Community leaders in three villages have strongly objected to a land application in Kg Ulu Keningau, Jalan Kimanis from an individual aiming to secure 50 acres in the village.

Native chief representative, Jassin Lumau, Samalang village head, Aliman Nulantan, Keningau village chief, Joanis Doimpin and Ulu Keningau village chief, Petrus Langkihang all expressed their objection to the application on the basis that the area applied for had been settled by local villagers since the 1980s.

The three settlements are Kg Samalang, Kg Keningau and Kg Ulu Keningau.

Aliman said former Senator, Datuk Robert Evans and former Bingkor assemblyman of the Berjaya era, Datuk Ayub Aman were both aware of the existence of the settlements in the 1980s.

They had applied for the land to the Department of Land and Survey in 1976 and again in the 80s but were denied because the Sabah Parks did not permit land in that area to be applied for settlement.

Nevertheless, the villagers decided to settle on the land which they regard as being their ancestral ground. However, a week ago we were shocked when we saw bulldozers had come into the area. When we tried to stop the men from doing clearing work, they told us that the land had been applied for and approved by the Department of Land and Survey, said Aliman.

According to him, the applicant Thien Swee Jin @ Annie Thien under land application 2012131415. He questioned how the application by Thien could have been approved when theirs was rejected twice by the department.

The community leaders therefore urge the government to intervene and resolve the land dispute.

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Community leaders battling prospects of losing their villages