KOTA KINABALU – The state government’s decision to reinstate the communal grant scheme after it was abolished years ago are among reasons Sabah is facing a backlash from Indigenous communities here.
Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim said in the instance of Kg Sapulut, the communal grant was re-awarded to a company in 2022 by the current state government.
He said the state reclaimed the land in question when the communal grant was abolished in 2018 on the pretext at the time native land titles would be reissued to the villagers.
“We have obtained a written response from the Land and Survey Department that the state reclaimed the land when the communal grant was abolished (in 2018), but a small lease was approved around 2021.
“The Land and Survey Department also confirmed that the communal grant was withdrawn and granted to a company.
“The lease was registered on November 11, 2022, with effect from July 1, 2013 until 2043, meaning the communal grant has been reinstated,” he told reporters during a sit-in protest at the compound of the Sabah administrative building, Menara Tun Mustapha, here today.
The Warisan-led government abolished the communal grant scheme in 2018, which promised to reissue them as native titles.
The current Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government has not officially announced the scheme has been reinstated.
Hishamuddin claimed the Indigenous communities are on the losing end if the communal grant continues as companies under the scheme always shortchanged the landowners.
He added that the landowners were made to sign joint ventures with companies to develop the lands and while these companies earn a profit from cultivation, they would declare a loss so as not to pay landowners dividends.
“This is easy. The companies could declare they plan to acquire pieces of machinery to ramp up expenditures so they could declare a far lower dividend.”
Hishamuddin said the communal grant should no longer be in use as it was clear under the Sabah Land Ordinance that a person cultivating land for over three years already obtains interest towards the land as stated under the Native Customary Rights.
Meanwhile, more than 200 Indigenous communities from five areas – Sapulut, Keningau, Kundasang, Tongod and Sandakan – turned up at the sit-in protest here today, where the non-governmental group also handed five memorandums to the chief minister over the land disputes.
In the instance of the Sapulut case, Hishamuddin said some 200 villagers have been denied their rights to the land from the communal grant controversy.
Some of the protesters had camped out at the Likas public park last night so they would be able to attend the demonstration this morning. – The Vibes, May 23, 2023
