SIBU: Seventy-six land owners affected by the Jalan Ngungun/Jagau Kanowit Sibu development project under the Upper Rajang Development Agency (Urda) (Package 1) received compensations amounting to RM2,648,513.22 today.
They received cheques from Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan at a ceremony held at Rumah Penghulu Surang, Nanga Tajam, Selangau on Monday (Oct 26).
Thirty-one other land owners affected by the Jalan Nanga Dap Bazaar/SMK Nanga Dap road construction project received compensations worth RM1,401.196.63 at the same event.
Awang Tengah also presented land titles under Section 18 State Land Code to 47 recipients from Sungai Tajam, Batang Oya, Selangau, 26 recipients from Tanjung Penasu, Batang Igan, Sibu, 87 recipients from Ulu Sungai Salim/Menyan and 67 recipients from Pasai Siong, Sibu.
In his speech, the deputy chief minister said the Sarawak government under the leadership of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg always strove to maximise developments in rural and and remote areas for the benefit of the state and for the convenience and well-being of the people.
He added the chief minister always worked hard to find ways to earn more income for the state to realise the government’s efforts to speed up development in rural areas.
“We can see various infrastructure development projects that have been approved and are being implemented by the government. Examples are the coastal road upgrading work, the second trunk road project implementation and bridges that have been built or are being implemented.”
Awang Tengah explained that the government sometimes had to acquire privately owned land to build better infrastructure or to carry out projects.
In such cases, the government, he explained, would pay reasonable compensations to the affected land owners in accordance with the existing provisions in the State Land Code (Chapter 81) and Article 13 of the Federal Constitution.
Awang Tengah urged the people to understand and be aware of the good intentions of the government and to cooperate and support it.
He also talked about the benefits of the various projects which affected the land owners.
On the Jalan Nanga Dap Bazaar/SMK Nanga Dap, he said it would benefit the residents of Rh Blayong Banting, Rh Man Malo, Rh Bennet Ringgit Bubong, Rh Chayok Gambai, SMK Nanga Dap and Nanga Dap Chinese Village.
The road would also connect the residents to Kapit and Kanowit towns.
“Currently, access from Nanga Dap to several longhouses, the Chinese village and a secondary school is through a muddy road and a logging road,” said Awang Tengah.
“Similarly, the construction of Jalan Ngungun/Jagau, Kanowit and Sibu is very important to the people because it can connect more than 40 longhouses in the area.
“This road will also provide access to development to more than 5,000 residents in the Rascom Resettlement Scheme in Nanga Ngungun and Nanga Jagau.
“It allows residents who were transferred to the Rascom Resettlement Scheme in Nanga Ngungun to return to their original villages in Ulu Ngemah to work on the land that they have left for a long time.
“Projects like this will clearly benefit the people, especially in Kanowit,” said the deputy chief minister.
