SIBU: The opposition parties always like to create land issues in Sarawak and make the state goverment look bad every time there is an election, according to Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah All Hassan.

“The aim of the opposition parties is to stir up discontent and incite feelings of hatred towards the ruling stale government.

“The issue on land as presented by Global Witness has been translated to all the major languages in the country to cause widespread anti-sentiment against the BN government said Tengah who was guest-or-honour at a stall dinner organised by the Special Affairs Department here yesterday on Wednesday evening.

“In spite of the present economic instability where many countries worldwide are facing downturns, Malaysia, with its seasoned and experienced leaders in the BN, was able to chart a GDP growth exceeding six per cent last year he said.

Tengah explained that during the time of Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan as Chief Minister of Sarawak in 1965, he (Ningkan) had proposed to convert all the Sarawak Native Customary Rights Land into mixed zone status but the proposal was strongly opposed by our present Chief Minister Pehin Sri Haji AbdulTaib Mahmud who was then a Minister.

“The accusation by the opposition parties that the state government is stealing land from its people, and that Dayaks are squatters on their own land is absurd.

On the contrary, the government has been carrying out (and is stilt on-going) survey works on individual NCR land and thousands of land titles had already been issued.

Only where necessary for the purpose of development does the government takes back land and pays compensation to the landowners in the process of doing so,said Tengah.

Among those present were State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Asfia Awang Nassar, PBB Advisor Datuk Awang Bemee Awang Basah, Jemoreng
Assemblyman Abu Seman Jawhie, Semop Assemblyman Abdullah Saidol, Nangka Assemblyman Dr. Annuar Rapaiee and State Director of Special Affairs Department
Hassan Busu.

(Source:  Sarawak Tribune, 19 April 2013)