SAPP will safeguard native rights

KOTA KINABALU, - Datuk Yong Teck Lee in his address to the members and supporters at SAPP Tanjung Aru's branches annual general meeting said "SAPP will return the tenure of land from that of 99 years back to 999 years once it forms the new state government."

Yong stressed that the party's land reform policy will safeguard the Natives' right on indigenous ancestral lands. The policy allows the land owners' applications to renew land leases in urban and rural areas to be approved as soon as possible without reducing the original tenure. Application to extend the existing land lease tenure from 99 years to 999 years shall be allowed.

Yong said that the country at this point of time is facing financial constraint as they have handed out billions of Ringgit through the various schemes intended to lure the people's support. The State of Sabah is also facing a land crisis as there were more than 600 cases of land grab cases received by the Suhakam, "which means the local natives are losing their lands long occupied by them and their ancestors to new applicants or companies," said Yong.

SAPP Land Reforms Policy mentioned that lands in rural areas which have been fraudulently issued land titles to private companies or individuals against proven Natives Customary Rights(NCR) shall be recovered by the State government and be returned to the original NCR owners; with compensation to the legitimate CL registered owners as required under the Federal Constitution; investigations and criminal proceedings shall be instituted against persons involved in the fraudulent processing, approval and issuance of land titles.

Touching on housing development for the residents of Tanjung Aru, Yong said one suitable piece of land for the purpose of providing housing for the local people of Tanjung Aru would be part of the 60-acre land belonging to the Railway Department but now the land had been given to a private company for commercial development.

SAPP Chairman for Tanjung Aru, Datuk Richard Yong in his address said Sabah had over the years lost out too much as compared to Peninsular Malaysia.

"A resource-rich state like Sabah should not suffer poverty but we had now become the poorest State in Malaysia, something must be seriously wrong," said Richard.

"Being the biggest contributor of oil, gas and palm oil, Sabah has no reason not to be rich but we are experiencing just the opposite, poor and yet have to suffer the highest cost of living in Malaysia.

"After 48 years of independence, Sabah is still facing vast disparity when compared to Peninsular Malaysia in terms of development in every aspect.
"We don't even have a single highway, our roads are bad, the fly-over in Tanjung Aru took more than 5 years to complete, the KK International airport after numerous delays is yet to complete the runway, over-head bridge at the entrance to KKIA is left uncompleted with pillars standing to welcome the arrival and departures of foreign visitors.

"The 400-million famed new Borneo Railway finally completed after 5 long years only to find its railway station lands to be developed by a listed company for commercial purposes.

"This government has lost its direction and totally inefficient when it comes to provision of public utilities, said Richard.

"Just look at the condition of the famous Tanjung Aru beach, it has gotten from bad to worse, it is not maintained and has been ignored by the authority concerned for too long, the common excuse is waiting of funds."

Richard lamented that "This is the result of Sabah losing its autonomy to the UMNO controlled central government where almost everything have to refer to Kuala Lumpur.

"When the State has lost its authority, the elected representatives and ministers have to comply to KL in order to save their position and become "Yes men", the State not only loses its autonomy but also its dignity, said Richard.

Richard who is also the party's secretary-general urged the members and the supporters to unify the people's support to the party's struggle to regain autonomy for Sabah and the 13th general elections is the best opportune time to do that.

The SAPP branches AGM officiated by its president Datuk yong Teck Lee was also attended by Tawau MP Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui, vice president Don Chin, Information Chief Chong Pit Fah, supreme councillors CK Yong and Kenneth Goh.