Solution in sight for land disputes between villagers and Safoda

KOTA MARUDU, August 16 (Press Release) -- Native customary rights landowners involved in the land dispute with Begaraya Sdn Bhd here have been assured that their land will be surveyed and issued communal titles.

The decision was made at the special taskforce meeting held today at the District Office, involving the district land office, National Resources Division of the Chief Minister’s Department, Sabah Land and Survey Department, Sabah Forestry Department and Sabah Forestry Development Authority (Safoda).

The taskforce met to discuss and resolve land disputes between villagers and Safoda and Begaraya.

Dr Ongkili added that surveying for issuance of land titles was expected to begin in three month’s time and involving 17 villages in Kota Marudu district. “This will eliminate any fear by NCR landowners of losing their land to Begaraya,” he said after chairing the meeting.

He added that the Land and survey Department was already undertaking aerial survey of villages overlapping with the Begaraya area. This is to supplement the socio-economic data collected by the District Office such as number of family members of each landowner and acreage already opened for agriculture.

The meeting also discussed the land dispute involving Safoda in Kampung Mangin I and Kampung Mangin II where 7,000 hectares of land has been identified for forestry development, but which overlaps with at least six villages in the Matunggong area.

“The decision reached is that all land claimed as NCR must be excluded from the Safoda area,” Dr Ongkili said of the longstanding issue of the overlapping claims involving Safoda which existed since 1977.

After the meeting, Dr Ongkili also held a dialogue session with 200 villagers in Kampung Mangin II where he pacified their fears and updated them on the meeting’s outcome. With him were Matungggong assemblyman Y.B. Sarapin Magana and district officer Luvita Koisun.

On Friday, Dr. Ongkili, who is also PBS deputy president and Federal Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, had also urged the Land and Survey Department to act promptly against a company for intruding on and bulldozing land which covered three villages here.

The special taskforce also discussed the claim by villagers of Kampung Soniton Ulu, Kampung Lingkobungan 1 and Kampung Bombong 1 against the private company which alleged that it had been approved 1,700 acres of land for an oil palm plantation.

Dr Ongkili said the Land and Survey Department would send a team within the next one week to identify the boundaries and assess the necessary compensation or excision of NCR land from the area approved to the company.

“I commend the state Land and Survey Department for its quick action to resolve the issue,” Dr Ongkili added.