GEDONG: Some 80 landowners from the Simunjan and Sebuyau settlements received compensation cheques for land worth more than RM2.75 million on yesterday (Nov 13).
The areas involved are a part of the Kampung Sungai Ladong Expansion Scheme in Sebuyau as well as the Kpg Lubok Samsu/Kpg Setamen/Kpg Sabang/Kpg Semanggal/Kpg Tanjung Tagalong/Kpg Sungai Ba/Kpg Jagong road upgrading project in Simunjan.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan noted that the acquisition of land is critical for the implementation of development projects.
Refuting the opposition’s claim that the Sarawak government intended to take over customary land, he advised the people not to be swayed by such claims.
“We don’t take it as we please. We make an accurate assessment and give compensation.
“How will we construct a road? Obviously not in the sky. And, of course, we can’t construct a hall like this in the sky.
“The development of such projects can improve the network of communication among the people,” he said.
He said this during the handover of compensation ceremony for upgrading projects in Simunjan and Sebuyau at Dewan Patinggi Ali here.
On the same note, he recalled that the state government was only able to measure a total of 200,000 hectares of Native Customary Rights (NCR) land from the 1960s until 2010.
But through a new initiative under the Land and Survey Department, he said over 1 mill hectares of NCR lands have been measured and gazetted.
He added that the programme will be a continuing one by the state government.
“We acknowledge that we cannot do everything in a single year. The fact that this initiative is ongoing, however, is a given. As long as we are in charge and have authority because the interests of the people are important to us,” he said.
