KOTA KINABALU: The government has been urged to look into the plight of the about 200 land owners in Kampung Sembulan Laut here.
According to Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) secretary general cum the party's Tanjung Aru division chief, Datuk Richard Yong, the villagers of Kampung Sembulan Laut are faced with a dilemma because the government has refused to extend their land leases.
Speaking at the SAPP Tanjung Aru division's annual general meeting yesterday, Yong said without any extension to the leases, the villagers will have to move out of the area.
According to him, there are about 200 land owners within the 62-acre area, out ofwhich 40 acres belong to Kampung Sembulan Laut and the remainder owned by the government.
"These people are worried because for some, their leases will expire in seven years’ time while others have about 20 years more, what are they going to do after that?" he lamented.
“The government must do something about the issue," Yong stressed.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the villagers have sent a letter of appeal to the state government to be allowed to remain in the area which had been gazetted as a Malay village reserve and allocated with RM40 million to carry out reclamation work.
As the lots are now worth at least half a million Ringgit each, the villagers are reluctant to move away, especially when they claim that the government will not pay the land owners any compensation.
They also claimed that the government, instead of building a resettlement village for them, has instead offered each of the affected land owners a place at Telipok Ria.
"With their leases due to expire soon and there being no indication that the government will extend them, these people are very worried." Yong said.
The Borneo Post
Monday, October 10, 2011
Page A4
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