Posted by Wong Ho Leng on December 09, 2007 at 14:12:49:
SUPP Stunt on Land Again
The SUPP announced yesterday that it had formed a task force to look into s.47.
The SUPP is the only political party in Sarawak which enjoys the distinction of being slow in recognizing the plight of the people. In this case, 34 years! Hence, only now, it decided to form a task force.
But, when you are a part of the Government, what task force is needed?
Hundreds of parcels of land at Matang, Kuching, had been imposed under s.47 land Code since 34 years ago. For 34 years, these landowners cannot fully develop or deal with their land. Being under s.47, the price of the land will be generally less than the market value. In the event of a sale, the purchasers will have to sign a document saying that he acknowledges that the compensation will be according to the price as and when the land was imposed under s.47.
The Land Code clearly provides that in the event of acquisition, the compensation will be based on the price of land at the time that the land was imposed under s.47, not the current market price.
Numerous cases had been brought to Court, challenging the inadequacy of the compensation. In almost all cases, the landowners had failed in Court who also ordered them to pay huge costs to the Lands and Surveys solicitors. Yet, these cases did not seem to jolt the SUPP leaders, though, it must be said, many of these challengers were SUPP leaders, members or supporters.
The SUPP ADUNs had even said in the Dewan Undangan Negeri in the 1990's that the insufficient compensation for land imposed under s.47 was unconstitutional. These SUPP leaders had been forced to withdraw what they said soon after they had said them in the Dewan. In one case, the ADUN was not allowed to contest in the 1996 State elections.
The SUPP joined the BN Government in 1970. Those hundreds of parcels of land at Matang were gazetted for development (whatever manner it was defined) in 1974. Hence, it was done when SUPP was a part of the Government. Yet, they did not know it!
Yesterday, the SUPP announced that the task force will visit the land, collect data, and then submit them to the Party which will discuss it and then forward to the Cabinet for deliberation.
Between 1996 and 2001, the DAP had said in the Dewan that all s.47 must be uplifted if the land were not acquired within 3 years.
The SUPP ADUNs then, including Batu Lintang's Chan Seng Kai, had tried to outdo the DAP, and had suggested that if the subject land was not acquired within 2 years, then s.47 must be uplifted. Three or Two Years, we had seen no need to quarrel.
These statements in the Dewan did not seem to suggest that the SUPP was unaware of the problems associated with s.47.
When I moved a Motion in the Dewan in November 2006 I had said that in view of computerization which should have brought about greater efficiency, s.47 must be uplifted if the subject land was not acquired within 2 years.
There were spates of statements in and outside the Dewan Undangan Negeri. The general policy was uttered several times by Awang Tengah, with echoes of assurances from the SUPP ADUNs and Ministers, of course, that s.47 will be uplifted if the land is not acquired within 2 years.
What has become of this policy? Those hundreds of parcels of Matang land, still under s.47 despite the lapse of 34 years, shows that the Government is not serious in its policy to uplift s.47 within 2 years. Worse, it brought to light the ignorance and incompetence of the SUPP on the plight of the people. Of course, that incompetence applies to generally the BN Parties.
Landowners at Matang should not be hoodwinked by these SUPP gimmicks of ground zero visitation or data collection. These data are collectable in minutes from the gazette notices.
The SUPP said its task force would be looking into the plight of the Matang land only. Quite obviously, it was only because those landowners, out of sheer frustration, had recently brought their plights to Alan Sim, the candidate designate for Bandar Kuching.
Nothing will justify lack of action this time, and hence, since the Parliamentary election is right around the corner, the SUPP decided to form the task force.
It is an election gimmick true and true, for the sake of election in Kuching.
The task force is formed with a view to show that the SUPP is championing the rights of the landowners. Yet, the SUPP and none of the BN Parties supported my Motion in November 2006, only because the Chief Minister told them in the Dewan not to give their support. Yet, outside the Dewan, the SUPP and other BN leaders claimed that the s.47 will be reviewed every 2 years.
Apart from Matang, there were thousands of parcels of land in Sarawak which are still under s.47 despite the fact that the gazette notification had been there since more than 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
That was why we also saw the handing out of land titles during the SUPP meeting yesterday. This was what I had called a popularity show. The BN had equated this as a function of the Government, and therefore it would legitimize the SUPP Ministers using Government cars and chauffeurs, at the expense of the tax payers.
These election stunts must be exposed. The people are smarter nowadays, and will not stand to be hoodwinked.
Let's hope that things are moving and done. The people's interest is paramount. Since the BN Government thought that it is caring, then the s.47 and other land problems ought to be solved soon. If not, the people can give the BN Government the Broom Award during the election time.
9/12/2007
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