Villagers put up barricades to protest against encroachment by oil palm plantation

The villagers of Kampung Stenggang with a huge banner denouncing the encroachment by the company.

Bau, May 3, 2012: Over 300 villagers from Kampung Stenggang in Lundu district have erected barricade against an oil palm company for what they considered as encroaching into their native customary rights (NCR) land.

They erected the barricade yesterday afternoon after failing to get the help of the Lands and Survey to stop the Peninsular Malaysia-based company from pulling back their machineries.

Speaking to reporters today, the village’s assistant head Carolus Jeim Langie said he and other village elders had approached the Lands and Surveys director Julaihi Abdullah about the encroachment three weeks ago.

“He agreed to look into the matter and to stop the company from further encroaching into our NCR land, but sad to say, the company’s workers are still damaging our land,” he said.

He also showed to reporters a letter signed by a former director of the Lands and Surveys, Datuk Sudarsono Osman, that the government recognised the existence of their NCR land within the area issued under Privisional Leases (PLs) to the oil palm company.

He said the letter stated that the department would investigate and demarcate the NCR land with a view to exclude from the PLs issued.

The letter, dated April 12, 2011, stated that the PL holders would not be allowed to carry out any development within the PL until the matter on NCR land had been resolved.

“Despite the letter, the company is still carrying out development work in our NCR land.,” Carolus said. By Sematong Express