FOUR LAND APPLICATION REJECTED

KUALA PENYU: The State Land and Survey Department has rejected an application by four companies for 800 acres of land in Kuala Penyu and Menumbok.

Land and Survey Department director Datuk Osman Jamal made the decision after he received a memorandum of objection to the application from local residents at the District Office here yesterday.

In their memorandum of objection, more than 200 residents led by former Kuala Penyu assemblyman Datuk John Ghani claimed that one of the four companies is based in Selangor.

Also present were Kuala Penyu assemblyman John Teo and District Officer Edmund Teo.

The residents held a brief and peaceful gathering at the district office before the meeting with Osman.

John thanked Osman for his willingness to go to the ground and for rejecting the companies’ land application.

“This issue involves the interest of the local residents and the environment as the land being applied for is a sea area which serves as source of livelihood for the people here who are mostly fishermen,” he said.

John also dismissed claims by certain quarters that the land issue had been politicised by the opposition.

“We are merely championing the rights of Sabahans because there were similar cases in other districts where big tracts of land for which the natives have customary rights had been given to big companies,” he said. (BP)