Kota Kinabalu: Kampung Minintod villagers staged a peaceful assembly on Feb. 17 against the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association’s (KDCA) application to acquire 30 acres of nearby land.
Villagers from surrounding areas including Kampung Bantayan and Sukang Mabpai also raised objections, alleging that the KDCA was seizing native village land. The Association has denied the claims.
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KDCA Sec-Gen Datuk Suman Yasambun, in a statement, recently, said the disputed site is gazetted as a Sabah Veterinary Reserve and not a Native Village Reserve as alleged.
“The land status remains a Veterinary Reserve and not a Village Reserve. There is no need for demonstrations … please come and I will show all the relevant documents,” he said.
He said the application process had followed proper government channels since 1988, including the Chief Minister’s approval and that the association was now awaiting an official response from the Sabah Veterinary Services Department before the Land Department could proceed further.
He added that all Village Chiefs involved are fully aware of the matter and the confusion should not have arisen.
According to the KDCA, the origins of the application date back to March 12, 1988, when the Association was permitted through Resolution P.9114 of the Native Trust Reserve Trustee to occupy and use a portion of the 30-acre area, subject to formal confirmation.
The resolution was signed by the Village Chiefs involved at the time. The matter was further formalised on May 14, 1994, when a meeting of the Koisaan Trustee Board at Hongkod Koisaan approved acceptance of the offer to grant title of the 30 acres to KDCA.
The resolution was co-signed by the KDCA leadership and witnessed by elected representatives and local community leaders. Suman said the State Government had since responded positively to the application, subject to comments from the Veterinary Services Department, which had yet to provide its official response.
“The application process has gone through official channels since 1988, including the Chief Minister’s approval subject to the Veterinary Department’s comments. We are now only awaiting the department’s response for the Land Department to proceed,” he said.
The KDCA would convene a meeting with the three Village Chiefs involved on Feb. 20, calling on them to review the clarifications based on official documents.
The KDCA, a non-political organisation championing the welfare, heritage and interests of the Kadazandusun community, said all decisions relating to the land had been made through official meetings with the agreement of community leaders, supported by Village Chiefs at the time, and processed through legitimate State Government channels.
The Association urged all parties to refrain from spreading unverified information and called on those seeking clarification to engage directly and formally rather than make assumptions that could threaten community harmony.
