DEFEND.....Angry
land-grab victims of the Rungus, Kimaragang, Sonsogon and Sungei tribes in
northern Sabah have pledged to defend their NCR lands to the death.
By : LUKE RINTOD (FMT)
PITAS: More than 300 angry
natives in the northern parts of Sabah staged a peaceful but powerful rally
protesting against the prevalent land grabs in Kudat, Pitas, Kota Marudu and
parts of Beluran.
They claimed the land grabs,
some of which they alleged were backed by politicians from the ruling party,
had resulted in bitter experiences for thousands of them.
Many of these natives are
displaced and squatting in nearby villages as well as awaiting court orders
obtained by big companies with political links.
Hosting the rally last
Saturday at Torong Soko overlooking the Marudu Bay here was the surging State
Reform Party (STAR), which successfully applied for and obtained a police
permit under the recently passed Peaceful Rally Act.
The Dusunic tribes of
Rungus, Kimaragang, Sonsogon and Sungei who are victims of the land grabs
pledged to defend their NCR lands to the death.
They also pledged to thwart
the ruling Umno-led Barisan Nasional’s bid to retain its parliamentary and
state seats in the north at the coming general election.
Local media, meanwhile,
blacked out news of the rally which was also attended by STAR Sabah chairman,
Jeffrey Kitingan.
The protesters last weekend
put up many placards which, among others, carried slogans calling for the BN
government to respect various conventions including the United Nations’s
convention on right of the natives on land.
Three representatives of the
land-grab victims spoke for about 10 minutes each at the rally, warning the
people of worse things to come if the current BN leaders continued to helm the
state as they are already beholden not only to outside power but to businessmen
from big companies.
The three were Jaipin
Mohigal, a former policeman and former ketua kampung (village headman) from
Tandek, pastor Marunsai Dawai from Matunggung and Midon Madoi, a village
headman of Kampung Bongkol, Pitas.
More
land rallies soon
Looking straight at the OCPD
standing across him, Jaipin said: “I have been chased out of my NCR land, they
(Sabah Forestry Department) burned my house, but I won’t budge as this is my
land. I will die here, and I am not afraid to die for my rights, you can arrest
me…”
Midon said he decided to
take the lead even though he is a government-appointed village headman because
he believed he was doing the right thing to help defend the NCR rights of the
natives.
Marunsai also called on the
people to think carefully about the future as what happened to them might also
happen to their next generation if the government continue to allow land grabs
via dubious tricks.
Allegations are rife that
land grabs were carried out using government agencies, to force the evacuation
of the natives to make way for big companies to take over their lands for palm
oil plantation.
Jeffrey in his speech said
the current government was totally lost in its purpose and is no longer
protecting the natives.
“Never in history have
Sabahans been treated worst like under this current government where they
prefer to give lands to outsiders and companies than the natives who have been
living in the areas for generations.
“If we don’t decide to repel
this government, who else will help us? It is now the time, and it us who must
determine our own future in our own land. Vote for change this time,” he said
to loud applause of “Ini Kali Lah”.
Earlier, Organising Chairman,
Maklin Masiau, in his speech, said the rally in Pitas is the launching pad for
more peaceful rallies on land issues and that the effort to regain respect for
NCR would reverberate across Sabah.
“There would be more bigger
rallies…” he said, adding that it is the people who wanted to protest the
government’s biased treatment against them.
Maklin, a teacher who
recently resigned from his post, is said to be among the earliest that had been
'confirmed' as STAR candidate. He is earmarked to stand in Pitas state
constituency, currently held by Umno’s Bolkiah Ismail.
The OCPD of Kota Marudu,
Mohd Isa Othman, with dozens of policemen both in uniform and plainclothes were
present throughout the rally which started just before noon and ended
peacefully at 5pm.
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