KOTA KINABALU – More than 40 residents of Kampung Sinompuru Sungai Simpang Sandakan plead for the government to help solve their issue as they are being asked to leave from their own home by a company that now owns the land.
The residents said that they have lived in the village for almost 40 years and the application to own the land deed have been made several times before they were told the land of almost 175 hectares were owned by a plantation company.
Following the incident, residents have been asked to leave the land since early this year and weer given their final notice in June, which saw four houses demolished after the company received court orders.
Resident representative Suen Balinting, 63, informed that they have applied to get the land grants since 1988.
"After we were asked to fill some forms (for the land grants) and the last time in 2017, until recently we were not given any grant and was informed that the land was purchased by a company.
"Currently we are given a period of three months which is next September to clear the land involved but we have no other place to go to since we have stayed there for so long with us farming on the land we were on," she told reporters during their peaceful assembly at the Wisma Innoprise courtyard, here on Thursday.
Suen hoped their presence at Wisma Innoprise could garner attention from the state government officials and help them solve their issues.
Another resident, Yulius Kasu,70 said he hoped a settlement would be given either in the form of half of the land or a new settlement near their village.
"We are prepared to be given a new area nearby for us to have shelter. I have been staying in the village for two generations and my father has built on this land.
"We have managed applications for land grants however, in 2017 applications for grants were cancelled," he said.
Alfin Baduli, 36, was one of the residents who had his home demolished in June which left him and his family homeless.
"I was working and nobody was home, I was informed that the house was demolished and I couldn't do anything about it.
Meanwhile, International Malaysia Human Organisation (MHO) Secretary General Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim who was representing the residents had delivered a memorandum on this issue to the Sabah Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
"Today we will present the memorandum that will be delivered to state government representatives, KKTP Junior (Operations) Secretary Nordin Lossin and he will extend this request to KKTP Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun for negotiations.
"We hope the eviction process will be postponed and will have government intervention, calling the company to sit down with the government and representative of the residents to have a further discussion.
"This includes how moving costs and living costs in a new area other than just being given a new home for them to be driven out from the land," he said.