Prove land ownership, DBKK told
Published on: Sunday, March 18, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: DAP MP Jimmy Wong called on City Hall (DBKK) to prove it has the ownership grant to a piece of landStay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Wong said the resettlement land premium of RM4 million was paid to the State Government by the Defence Ministry when Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was the minister in charge and RM10 million had already been approved by the government to construct low cost homes for the affected villagers."Although the 20-acre area has been surveyed by the Land and Survey Department and a survey plan approved, it is shocking for DBKK to now and say the land is theirs," he said at the DAP Headquarters at Jalan Lintas, Saturday.Wong said in a letter dated April 27, 2016, DBKK listed a grant number as evidence for ownership of the said land."But when we checked the grant number quoted with the Land and Survey Department, it was not even registered.
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"So I'm telling DBKK you better prove you have the grant as what they are claiming to be a grant isn't really a grant. How can they claim it's a grant and threaten to use force to demolish the structures set up in the resettlement village."He said this when met by reporters at DAP Headquarters at Jalan Lintas on Saturday.
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Wong said it was shocking that when the villagers there have got their survey plan approved by the Land and Survey Department and have spent money for reclamation works but at the end they are being chased away and get nothing. Wong said each family paid RM500 for reclamation works and about RM200,000 has already been spent by the 400 households. But now it seems that the area is no longer theirs as City Hall said it is theirs."I suspect some of the government leaders (have their eyes on the land) after they see that a road was already constructed (to the village), the land become so valuable as it is estimated that one acre there is worth at least RM5 million. "I am asking the State Government where are the promises (that was made) to these villagers over 20 years ago to get them resettled and provide them homes. How long do they have to wait again? "What has the Minister of Defence paid RM10 million for. It (the area) has been surveyed and approved so it belongs to the villagers. Why are they being prevented from entering the area."The Sepanggar Navy base is already long completed but the villagers are still waiting for a solution to their problem. These people gave up their original villages there (to build the base) in exchange for this (land). Wong said he had travelled to the area to see the situation of the villagers for himself. "Their living conditions are very poor indeed with dilapidated homes, they don't even have electricity and water, they are even forced to make illegal electricity connections and buy water at 50 sen a gallon from an Umno-linked crony." Wong said last time DAP stood there it received 13,000 votes. "With all the other opposition parties votes combined it was more than 19,000 in Sepanggar. Umno only got 21,000, so its only a difference of 2,000. "They now have a choice, either give the land to the people or risk losing your seat there."Wong said he had caught up with Sepanggar MP Datuk Jumat Idris and after showing him the documents issued from the Land and Survey Department, questioned why the kampung people were being prevented from moving in to the resettlement area that was promised to them."Jumat replied this was because there was no village chief for the kampung and the land cannot be entrusted to the village as it has to be entrusted to the village chief. Thus, without a village chief the land was transferred to DBKK. "But if that was the case, my question is why was it surveyed under the village in the first place and if there was no village chief, why not appoint one." - Neil Chan
