The group's spokesperson Mansor Ghapor said while the villagers welcome the government's plan to develop Kinarut, "flooding the area with communities whose culture is different from ours could pose serious threat to the local social structure".
"The government should first think about providing us with enough facilities before dumping these people here. Kinarut is in dire need of infrastructure such as schools and health clinics. The existing ones are barely enough, and they want to add 1,200 more people.
"Furthermore, Kinarut has only two burial grounds for Muslims and one of them is here, right behind the construction site. These people may even bury their dead here without consulting the locals.
"We are not looking down on others, but let's admit it, we are different culturally," he said.
Mansor added that the people are incensed because those they deemed outsiders were given free homes while the locals were overlooked.
Many, he said, have applied for lands in the area since the 80s and not one was entertained by the government.
He urged the government to find a win-win solution to the dilemma by giving in to the people's plea for infrastructure and lands if they planned to go ahead with the project.
"The government is powerful, who are we to go against it? But the people here have grown desperate. The government can take care of other communities, but do not neglect the locals who have been here for hundreds of years.
"Because we felt neglected, therefore we are angry and if the anger cannot be contained any longer, it would soon bring about more problems," he said.
Mansor said that apart from those issues, the people are also worried about their livelihood and foresaw difficulties in accessing the sea through the river mouth because of the presence of boats owned by Pulau Gaya residents.
There are also rumours that the cemetery in Pulau Gaya will be transferred to Kg Kuala, making the people more anxious about the project.
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