Villagers seek CMs help over land dispute

by Jeremy Veno, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on July 1, 2014, Tuesday

KUCHING: Anxious villagers from Kampung Sebat Dayak and Kampung Siru Dayak in Sematan are pleading to Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem to look into an alleged encroachment into their farmland by a private company.

According to the villagers, their nightmare started in 2010 when the company was granted a licence to develop about 1,000 acres of state land at Lot 1014 Block 8, Pueh Land District which encompasses 280 acres of land which the villagers claimed to have native customary rights (NCR) over.

Located about 200 metres from their villages, the land is mainly used by the villagers to grow oil palm, padi, rubber trees, fruit trees and vegetables.

On Nov 25, 2011 a civil case was filed at the High Court after two series of talks between the villagers, representatives from the company and the Lundu District Office ended in a deadlock.

On March 7 this year, the High Court granted the company rights to develop the state government land which led the villagers to file an appeal.

The High Court then ordered the company to stop work and not to encroach into the disputed areas until the appeal case is settled.

Despite the court order, the company was said to have continued land clearing activities.

The matter reached a boiling point last Sunday when more than 30 villagers from Kampung Sebat Dayak and Kampung Siru Dayak staged a protest at the alleged encroached site.

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Villagers seek CMs help over land dispute