MIRI: Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has reminded the natives in Sarawak to be aware of the opposition whom he described as a ‘snake’ that wraps around their prey harping on and twisting land issues.
“Don`t be fooled by the opposition’s instigation on land issues, because believing in such propaganda would lead to disappointment,” he said when presenting land titles under Section 18 of the Sarawak Land Code to recipients at a leading hotel here on Wednesday.
Residents from 14 villages in Sungai Ukat, Bario received their land titles involving a total of 3, 995.458 hectares.
Abang Johari reminded the villagers not to be taken in by opposition propagandas in twisting native customary rights (NCR) land issues.
“When your land is surveyed under Section 6, it does not mean that the government will seize your land, …there are opposition parties harping on this issue, trying to influence the NCR land owners in the State which not allow the government to survey their land under Section 6 of the Sarawak Land Code,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference later, Abang Johari said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) would contest in all 82 seats in the coming state election.
“We do not know when the election is,…as far as Sarawak is concerned GPS is the dominant party and we will contest in all seats (82),” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, who was also present, elaborated on the ‘double standards’ of Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, citing a case in Trusan, Lawas where some blocks of land gazetted under Section 6 of the Land Code were later issued titles under Section 18 belonged to him (Baru).
“This is a testimony that the Sarawak government under GPS does not grab native lands…this person is the one who goes around and tells people not to allow the government to do the perimeter survey under Section 6, but yet, he himself received his land title via the initiative of the state government,” Uggah said.
