KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah government will set certain conditions to ensure that the company managing Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) approves the exclusion of settlements from its land concession, said Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor.
Hajiji said a committee had been formed to study village and settlement issues in the area to ensure that the conditions are implemented.
“The issue has reached the state government. Therefore, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah government will continue to prioritise the interests of those who have long settled in the area owned by SFI.
“This is not government land (but) company land. We will negotiate with them to exclude some inhabited areas to be gazetted as village areas,” he said.
Hajiji was replying to assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang (Independent-Kemabong) and assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (Warisan-Sindumin) regarding efforts to exclude settlement land from the SFI concession during the wrap-up session by the Chief Minister’s Department at the Sabah state assembly sitting today.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Abidin Madingkir said SFI was the long-term holder of the Sustainable Forest Management License Agreement for the 245,764ha Sipitang Class II (Commercial) forest reserve gazetted on May 1, 1959.
He said 900ha out of the total area had been reclassified as Sipitang Class I (Protected) forest reserve on March 14, 1984, as the area had a high conservation value.
According to Sabah Forestry Department records, the settlements in the SFI area only comprise three villages, namely Kg Pakiak, Kg Tunas Baru, and Kg Lumampau, involving an area of around 20ha, with about 300 residents, he said.
“This issue and the village areas in other forest reserves will always be the focus of the state government, and actions to settle the issue will be taken in stages. For now, a social baseline study will be conducted in the area to support any further action to be taken,” he said.
In another development, Abidin said the state government had approved a new programme to measure the state’s native customary land under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
It will have an allocation ceiling of RM2.5 million, implemented through the Land and Surveys Department in addition to the allocation for the Perkhidmatan Tanah Adat Negeri Sabah programme by the federal government.
Meanwhile, Sabah Rural Development Minister Datuk Jahid Jahim said that non-commodity crops will be introduced in an anti-poverty programme next year, as the crops can bring in quick returns and have high demand.
The crops identified include the Musang King durian, avocado, MD2 pineapple, pandan coconut, and honey jackfruit. Mini Estet Sejahtera Kampung Angalor, Kemabong has been chosen as the location to implement the pilot project. – Bernama, December 23, 2020
