A PORTION of the former Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) forest estate will be set aside as a village, said Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He announced that several thousand hectares have been identified for alienation to allow residents to continue living in the former paper mill forest estate.
He said he had also directed the Sabah Land and Survey Department to implement the Sabah Native Customary Land Services Programme (PANTAS) in the district to address long-standing issues.
This initiative aims to survey land long occupied and cultivated by villagers and issue grants to the rightful owners.
"We will ensure that several thousand acres within the SFI estate will be allocated for our people’s villages in Tenom.
“For un-surveyed land, I will instruct the department to use the PANTAS program to measure the residents' land so that titles can be granted for the long-cultivated areas," he said during the opening ceremony of the Parti Gagasan Rakyat Annual Meeting in Kemabong Division at Dewan Sri Ontoros, Kemabong.
SFI, once a major pulp and paper mill in the state, ceased operations in 2017 due to financial difficulties.
Since then, the state government has been exploring ways to resolve land issues and support the affected communities.
He was responding to resolutions presented by Kemabong Gagasan Rakyat Division Head, Datuk Rubin Balang, concerning the interests of the local people.
Speaking at a press conference, Hajiji said he would summon the company to discuss the proposal to release part of the SFI land. — October 1, 2024.
