MANY VILLAGES STILL TRAPPED IN FOREST RESERVE

16 NOV 2020

KOTA KINABALU: Kadamaian State Assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick said there are still many villages in the state that are trapped in forest reserves, the Sabah Parks border area and in the concession area of government-linked companies and corporate companies.

He therefore welcomes the state government's commitment to continue the policy of removing forest reserves status and the company's concession of the affected native villages and then measure their land under the Special Native Land Services (PANTAS).

He said, the PANTAS programme should also be expanded in areas with a gradient of more than 25 degrees to enable hill farmers to own land grants.

“I support all efforts to improve and strengthen land governance in Sabah as done by the previous State Government led by the Senallang Assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal before this who appointed Assistant Collectors of Land Revenue (PPHT) in all district offices throughout Sabah.

“This will allow district officers to have a greater focus on development governance, people's welfare and the Government secretariat.

"This includes the policy of dissolving forest reserves to enable trapped native villages to be gazetted," he said.

He said this while debating the policy speech of Head of State Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly here, today.

He said, in the Kadamaian area, many villages are still facing the problem of land grant ownership.